DA leader John Steenhuisen set tongues wagging when he said working with the ANC was still not off the table last week. He has now toned down.

DA leader John Steenhuisen appears to have backtracked from last week's comment about possibly forming a coalition government with the ANC should the moment come after 29 May.

Mail & Guardian quoted Steenhuisen saying a DA-ANC coalition was not off the table.

The comment set tongues wagging with people accusing the DA of not being committed to removing the ANC from power.

The comments led ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont to say that, "South Africans must punish parties that speak with forked tongues about the ANC".

"Any party in the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) that 'entertains any working arrangement or co-governing arrangement with the ANC' is in breach of Section 7.1.2 of the Charter agreement that they signed."

The section states that signatories of the MPC commit to not engaging in any working arrangements or co-governing agreements with the ANC, EFF, or any rival formations. There is no punishment for parties in the MPC who choose not to abide by this but Beaumont said the DA would want such agreements to be binding in court.

South Africans must punish parties that speak with forked tongues about the ANC.Any party in the Multi-Party Charter that "entertains any working arrangement or co-governing...