PROVINCIAL DISUNITY
Impasse — Gauteng cabinet talks between ANC and DA collapse yet again
Negotiations to form a government of provincial unity in Gauteng have once again collapsed, with the ANC insisting on having the upper hand and the DA seeking an arrangement that is reflective of the will of the voters in the 29 May elections.
The ANC and the DA in Gauteng are still at loggerheads over the composition of a government of provincial unity (GPU). The tussle is largely over the allocation of portfolios, which the DA says must reflect the will of the voters in the recent general election.
The stalemate comes despite both parties signing an agreement to co-govern at a national level and negotiating about the configuration of provincial governments, as was the case in KwaZulu-Natal, where the DA took charge of crucial portfolios including finance and public works.
The Gauteng executive has 10 MECs, plus the premier, and the DA had proposed that it should at least be given four MEC portfolios — infrastructure, education or health, transport and economic development — while the ANC insisted the party would get just three portfolios.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Lesufi halts Gauteng cabinet announcement after talks with DA stall
On Tuesday evening, DA federal chairperson Hellen Zille said another meeting with the ANC had taken place earlier on Tuesday, but no agreement had been reached.
“Till now, the ANC has been prepared to offer the DA a maximum of three out of 10 cabinet seats, without telling us how many seats they intend to take for themselves and how many they propose to offer to other parties.
“This approach was not conducive to building an atmosphere of trust. We wanted clarity on these issues. The ANC today conceded that they had intended to allocate three seats to the DA, and seven to themselves, out of a cabinet of 11 (including the ANC premier). This division falls far short of the requirements set out in Clause 16 of the Declaration of Intent, given that the DA comprises 45% and the ANC 55% of the GPU,” said Zille.
She said her party would not allow the disagreements in Gauteng to affect the national and KZN arrangements as it was serious about governance.
Fikile Mbalula to step in
Premier Panyaza Lesufi has postponed the announcement of his cabinet at least three times.
On Monday, ANC Gauteng secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza said: “From tomorrow [Tuesday] this really must proceed because it is really delaying the people of Gauteng. It can’t be fair, it’s not right. The people of Gauteng have been waiting for their government.”
The party was unable to deliver on that promise. Instead, the office of the ANC’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, said it would address members of the media on Wednesday about the latest developments in the negotiations.
The ANC’s provincial leadership could not be reached for comment at the time of publishing. On Monday, however, the party’s Lebogang Maile lamented the DA’s conduct, particularly its insistence on getting four portfolios.
“This is not a coalition with the DA. That’s why we must not reduce it to what the DA gets, but [ask]: how are we accommodating all the political parties?” said Maile.
A province in limbo
The legislature consists of 80 seats: the ANC has 28, followed by the DA with 22, the EFF with 11, the MK party with eight, ActionSA with three, the Freedom Front Plus and the PA with two each, and the IFP, Rise Mzansi, Bosa and the ACDP with one seat each.
Some of the smaller political parties have expressed concern about the delays.
PA deputy president Kenny Kunene said the party remained in the dark on the talks between the ANC and DA.
“There has not been any official [word] and we are truly concerned about the impact this will have on service delivery, particularly in the City of Johannesburg.”
IFP secretary-general in Gauteng Alco Ngobese said the ANC had taken them into its confidence about the latest developments, saying a “few” things need to be resolved before an announcement could be made.
“We are deeply concerned — these delays are unnecessary. The ANC and DA need to put their egos aside and put the residents of Gauteng first. Gauteng is the country’s economic hub — if things go on like this, it might even affect investor confidence,” said Ngobese.
Political analyst Sanusha Naidu said ANC members in Gauteng appeared to have different interpretations of some of the clauses in the Statement of Intent and were seemingly divided while the DA appeared to have the same interpretation and spoke in a unified manner.
Asked if Gauteng was an indication of things to come in the next five years, she said: “There is going to be a constant nipping at the heels… I think it is going to be ugly at times.”
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said, “We remain open to engaging with the ANC. Whether there was a sense that this is the end of the road, certainly from our end, we don’t take it that is the case. But if it is the end of the road on their side, then it will be the end of the road. We will take our opposition seat and we’ll see what happens.” DM
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Comments
All Comments 37
Sadly Phanyasa was and is not the ideal person for this position. His arrogance, his ego, his ties to the EFF is what keeping this agreement from happening. He needs to be reigned in for the benefit of our province
He’s not ideal for the position cause he refuses to allow the DA to take away his rights as premier to appoint MECs
Remember he is premier because DA backed him and there is an agreement – stick to your contract – ANC already did an about turn with GNU. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Agreed. He got what he wanted and now he’s trying to play the DA for fools. Watch a motion of no confidence load in the near future.
Agreed. He got what he wanted and now he’s trying to play the DA for fools. Watch a motion of no confidence load in the near future.
“legislature consists of 80 seats: the ANC has 28, followed by the DA with 22”
Stick to your guns DA. All us sensible people in all our lovely colours are behind you 100%.
The very reason that the GNU route was chosen over a coalition was to prevent the other parties from cabinet numbers representative to proportion of the vote %
Best thing the non ANC members in parliament can do is to outperform every single ANC and MK cadre and make them look so bad (which shouldn’t be difficult) that they become parties that are utterly irrelevant at the next election. The time for the gravy train, race based political BS to come to an abrupt end. There is no place for uselessness and ineptitude when we have country that doesn’t have enough jobs to go around. The economy is screwed because of ridiculous racist programs that have systematically been abused to enrich a few elites while the poor people languish in horrific conditions.
Well said
100%
The economy is screwed because of a long history of colonialism, then apartheid, and then a failure by the ANC to move away from the neoliberal policies that create wealth for a small elite, and trickle-down to everyone else in the country. The poverty and unemployment were here before 1994. Only an idiot would deny that. When the ANC abandoned the RDP, which would have helped enormously to lift the poor out of the grinding poverty of homeland poverty and create jobs (e.g. R1m houses built in one year), and failed to implement the suggested wealth tax (many of us who were better off would have gladly paid it to improve the lives of everyone), then gave up the RDP for GEAR, well, that, the arms deal, BEE and cadre deployment combined to create a perfect storm. This was all enhanced by the Long Repression (2008 until today, actually) and Covid, as well as the intransigence of big business, who have done very well in the past 30 years, thank you, just like they did under apartheid. To suggest that the “economy is screwed” purely because of the ANC is fallacious, just as it is to believe that you are not part of the “elite” that is enriched while the poor “languish in horrific conditions”.
And Kevin, I am not an ANC supporter. But I am also not a DA supporter.
The ANC must understand that they lost their majority and therefore they do not run the province anymore. The people of Gauteng voted for change and the small margin between the DA and ANC results shows that the people of Gauteng see the DA as the vehicle to accomplish the changes needed. The ANC has to work with the DA not against it. The DA cannot make changes if they are not given key portfolios to implement what is needed to be done in Gauteng.
There are 80 seats in the Gauteng chamber, and the DA secured 22 of them – just over a quarter.
Which is the problem here. No party has a clear mandate from the people of of Gauteng or even most of the people of Gauteng.
DA+ANC is the easiest way to get a majority.
The ANC has other options, but it is interesting that they are spending so much time in discussion with the DA.
The only way the DA can enter into an alliance that doesn’t include the ANC is to include both the EFF and MK. This would result in a spell of very cold weather.
On Monday, ANC Gauteng secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza said: “From tomorrow [Tuesday] this really must proceed because it is really delaying the people of Gauteng. It can’t be fair, it’s not right. The people of Gauteng have been waiting for their government.”
OK, hands up all the residents of Gauteng who truly believe this statement has anything at all to do with them and actual service delivery!
My hand’s not up ….
The new catch phrase of the DA is “the will of the people”. The will of the people did not give DA enough votes to form a government. They demanding positions like they did nationally. The DA spent R165m, had major support of big bussiness, the media & plenty of NGOs but could not get > 22%. South Africans rejected them & the MPC. The ANC should have formed a minority gov.
Jeff the Bot strikes again
You suffer from verbal diarrhea Jeff
And did the will of the people give the ANC enough votes to form a provincial government in Gauteng? Everyone knows Panyaza and the Alex Mafia are terrified that the depths of their theft and corruption are about be uncovered.
Jeff, it seems that you have not read the constitution. The ANC cannot have formed a government on their own with only 40% of the vote. I do tend to agree with you that the DA are grandstanding when they say “the will of the people”. If the ANC did not fracture at its own seams and birth MK, it would have retained more than 50% of the vote. But here we are, the votes dictate that the DA now plays a role, albeit a small one.
You conveniently forget that in the last election, the ANC tried to illegally sell a grabber for an exorbitant price and use the excess to fund its election. And that they failed to pay an account for over R100m just for posters! Reports are that the ANC spent about R1bn on that election, including money paid to representatives at their electoral conference. And exactly what the cash was stuffed in the couch or when zuma was President, why he would not allow Thuli Madonsela into the bunker room at Nkandla which was stuffed full of gift, cash and gold courtesy of putin.
The appears to have not heard the message from the voters and continues to act as if they have a substantial majority. Lesufi is of the same cut as Mantashe, Mr Fear Fokol, and a variety of other rogues. Not satisfied with bringing the country to the brink, they demand the right to continue. It’s going to be a fun five years all round. The DA would probably do well to remain in opposition where they can call on all the faults rather than having to swallow them!
Well what do you expect from a rogue party always crooked tricks. They were and still is part of state capture. The hell with you anc you did NOT GET THE 2/3 MAJORITY so bugger off
No they didnt get 67% majority. They didnt even get 51%. In fact they only got 35% vs the DA’s 28%. And they apparently signed a letter of intent to split the provincial cabinet positions based on proportional vote. And the DA supported Lesufi for premier on that basis. Now the ANC wants to act as if they got 51% or more. Not very numerate are they. I fear for Gauteng and its residents; Gauteng will undoubtedly go from worse to disastrous in the next few years. But I can say that glibly because I dont live there.
There is still a fight going on in Gauteng as to who get what levers of power. Emerging out of the wreck that was Tembisa Hospital, are details of very large fraud, over R1 billion, for which those wishing to keep a lid of the filthy secrets, had Babita Deokaran, gunned down in cold blood outside her house within sight of her kids.
I think we can now all better understand why Panyasi Lesufi, egged on by his real boss, Paul Mashatile, are fighting tooth and nail to keep the DA out. It has been the DA’s, Jack Bloom who has been the main political campaigner forcing an enquiry.
It also explains why public health services are so very very poor. All the funds are stolen by crooked politicians.
I think you are dead right here! The murder of Babita Deokaran was sanctioned and protected by the leadership of the Gauteng ANC. It was all around the mass theft of public money that should have been used to treat sick people in Gauteng, and when she started scratching, she had to be silenced. The DA in Gauteng needs to know this is what they are dealing with in the ANC in Gauteng. I would treasure the idea of Jack Bloom taking the role of health MEC. The smallyana skeletons there must be lying around everywhere!
This is not a conflict between the DA and the ANC in Gauteng. That’s a smokescreen!
This is a conflict between the ANC in Gauteng and the ANC National. Apart from KZN and WC, the ANC’s result in Gauteng is weak at 35%. They can call the shots because they ended up with the largest bloc of votes. However, the DA at 27% is not far behind and could be reasonably be expected to be equal partners, or in another way, equal partners in agreeing to a provincial government. Together they make up a good majority of the Gauteng voters.
However, if the ANC in Gauteng are not willing to work with the DA and in violation of the agreement of the GNU, then they have no option but to work with the EFF and MK (which, I believe is their real intention). Remember this is the stamping ground of Paul Mashatile, the deputy president who looks away when his bodyguards kick a civilian person into submission, is way more inclined to work with the EFF (who have a similar disposition to inflict physical harm on people when wanting to get their way).
So to fix this impasse, there is nothing the DA can do. Its up to Ramaphosa and dealing with the main faction in Gauteng who clearly haven’t subscribed to what the voters want, and haven’t yet made peace with the fact that the ANC is dying.
You are right. The Gauteng ANC is closer to the EFF and MK than it is to the DA. Really EFF lite or MK lite. Ramaphosa has to lay down the law to Lesufi. Anyone think Ramaposer has the balls to do that.
This is Ramaphosa’s big test. Is he prepared to face down the RET faction in his party?
He’ll have to, or otherwise why would anyone listen to him?
There is no doubt that Panyaza Lesufi and Lebogang Maile are trying to keep prying eyes away from the books. There is still the not insignificant matter of R430m spent to have schoolrooms fogged for COVID, despite nobody being allowed to attend school!
This makes the Ace Magashule asbestos scam pale into insignificance.
Panyaza needs time to explain to his patronage network that there won’t be anymore money for free. He thought that he could create a full ANC cabinet to maintain the gravy train with little effort. It doesn’t help that his racist comments and actions doesn’t sit well with many.
The DA made a big mistake when they trusted the ANC to keep the agreement they signed, and a bigger one when they gave away their negotiating position by voting for ANC president and speaker with nothing in return. The DA and all of us will have to pay the price.
And you were expecting perfect? Wow.
The DA must stick to their guns. They have already fulfilled their part of the deal by supporting lesufi for premier and also the speakers position, nationally and gauteng. DA was shortchanged in national, now gauteng D A must put their foot down. If lesufi and gauteng does not come to the party, gauteng and national must withdraw, and immediately institute motions of no confidence in ramapoosa and lesoofi. And get maile out. Far out. And try to get him sober, for a change. Jack Bloom for health mec. Scratck Jack, scratch. You will find plenty.
Do I hear the sound of more Gauteng-ers who are able to do so, packing up and moving to the Western Cape? The decline of central Johannesburg over the years offers an insight into what becomes of Gauteng as a whole if it continues on its current path.