Gwarube: MK Party would throw Constitution out the window

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said on Wednesday that the country’s Constitution would be thrown out the window if it ever fell into the hands of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.

Gwarube made the comment in Parliament during a debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address.

While lamenting the success of united leadership under the Government of National Unity (GNU), Gwarube accused the MK Party of not seeing the value of the country’s constitutional democracy.

Minister Siviwe Gwarube used her speech during the debate to also speak about the GNU, which she joined about two years ago.

Gwarube said members of the GNU were guided by a clear purpose to stabilise the country.

Her remarks come a day after MK Party interim parliament leader Des van Rooyen warned that his party would march to victory at the local government elections later this year.

But Gwarube said this would spell bad news for the country.

"We could never allow the country we so love to fall into the hands of those who wish to throw our Constitution into the bin for political clout. While political parties like the MK do not see the value of our hard-earned constitutional democracy, we do."

Gwarube also told the joint sitting that Ramaphosa had correctly placed growth and jobs at the centre of the national agenda.