Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi. (Photo by Fani Mahuntsi/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has postponed the announcement of his executive council yet again after negotiations between his ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA) hit a deadlock over the makeup of the provincial cabinet.
Lesufi was set to announce the members of his executive council on Monday evening, but this was put off after the DA threatened to boycott the negotiations.
The ANC’s provincial secretary, TK Nciza, told a media briefing on Monday that the party was not agreeing to the DA’s demands. He said Lesufi would announce the Gauteng executive by Tuesday to give it a bit more time to talk to the DA.
“We just don’t believe we will be bullied by the DA here in Gauteng and that is why we are here,” Nciza said, adding that the process could have been concluded two weeks ago.
“They must understand that other parties will be invited and the ANC will lead the provincial [unity] government,” he said.
The ANC lost its majority in the province in 29 May general elections, taking only 34.76% of votes, a drop of 15.43 percentage points from 2019. The DA’s support was little changed at 27.44% from 27.46% while the EFF got 12.92%, down from 14.67% in 2019. Newcomer the MK party received 9.79% of the votes in the province.
Nciza declined to specify which parties the Democratic Alliance was refusing to work with, but dismissed suggestions that the ANC in Gauteng was under pressure from the party’s Luthuli House headquarters to work with the DA.
The ANC has a coalition agreement with the EFF in the province. The DA has previously said it refused to work with the Red Berets, and had declared the party “enemy number one”.
Nciza said the ANC would continue to talk to other parties including Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), but they would not be part of the provincial executive.
ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee member Lebogang Maile accused the DA in the province of bullying the ANC, telling journalists: “They believe they are in charge. We are not led by the DA.”
He said the ANC wanted to work with all political parties, including those with one seat in the Gauteng legislature.
Maile said the ANC had concluded negotiations with other parties. “It is only the DA that is behaving like a spoiled brat.”
Gauteng ANC deputy secretary Tasneem Motara confirmed that there was still wrangling with the DA, hence the announcement of MECs would not happen on Monday.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said he had met the ANC on Monday morning to discuss his party’s proposal, adding that Lesufi had undertaken to respond by 4pm but this had not happened.
“The ANC has failed to come back to us. If they think they can make an announcement without prior engagement, the deal is off,” a frustrated Msimanga said.
He refused to divulge details of the DA’s proposal to the media, given that discussions were ongoing.
Last week Lesufi was allegedly told by Luthuli House to refrain from announcing the cabinet, which excluded the DA after the blue party’s demand for five MEC posts.
The cabinet Lesufi wanted to announce included one seat for the Patriotic Alliance, a position for Inkatha Freedom Party and another for Rise Mzansi. The DA rejected an offer of three MEC positions.
Lesufi’s spokesperson, Sizwe Pamla, confirmed that the delayed appointment of the provincial government was in respect of political principals that needed to grant a go-ahead.
Pamla added: “Negotiators requested more time, and we have to abide because we are really not much involved in political matters.”