If President Cyril Ramaphosa cannot fathom the thought of the ruling party being in a coalition government - then why did he ask his second-in-command, Paul Mashatile, to facilitate a national dialogue on a framework for coalition government?
This is the question opposition parties have asked after the process to develop a framework for coalitions stalled.
The process hit a wall after political parties, including the UDM and FF Plus, rejected some of the proposals at the national dialogue in August 2023.