The EFF has decided to close all talks with the ANC. (Photo by Shiraaz Mohamed/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The ANC might be forced to give up control of the City of Ekurhuleni as coalition talks between the governing party and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) look to reach an advanced stage this week.
According to party insiders, the EFF has indicated that it would like to govern in Ekurhuleni, in an exchange that would see the ANC benefitting from an EFF vote in Johannesburg.
The ANC needs 136 seats to regain Johannesburg, having won 91 during last week’s local government elections. The EFF won 29 seats in the City of Johannesburg council, meaning even with its support, the ANC would still need to woo smaller parties, including the Patriotic Alliance which won eight seats.
In Ekurhuleni, the ANC would need 113 councillors to regain the metro, but fell short with 86 seats. The EFF won 31 seats, putting the party in a comfortable position to make demands.
Two members of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) said the EFF had sent a letter to the party’s negotiating team, which includes deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte and treasurer general Paul Mashatile, detailing its list of demands.
While the ANC’s discussions during a special NEC meeting are said not to have reached final decisions on metros, the two insiders said it was highly unlikely that the party would give in to many of the EFF’s demands.
One EFF leader told the Mail & Guardian that the party would also be asking to chair parliament’s powerful standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) in exchange for the City of Johannesburg. In 2019, the ANC supported the Inkatha Freedom Party’s Mkhuleko Hlengwa as Scopa chair as it sought to build a relationship with that party.
In the Nelson Mandela Bay and eThekwini metros, regional leaders said the EFF was willing to vote for the ANC to take over, but the regions wanted the speaker position.
On Friday, the EFF published a framework of principles within which it would engage in coalition talks. These include a condition that the party should exclusively govern in some municipalities in exchange for others “and where this happens, there should be agreement on oversight functions given to the coalition partner”. It also demanded non-interference in the appointment of municipal managers and all other senior managers.
The NEC members who spoke to the M&G said it would be hard to part with any metro based on budget outcomes and their significance. They both agreed that losing any of the metros would be devastating for the ANC and that the party would also examine the budget of each metro.
“There are many variables that need to be considered but paramount to us must be the delivery of services to our people. In metros, we also need to consider the reach they have to our people and it’s equally important to consider each metro’s uniqueness and their budgets,” one NEC member said.
Together, metros constitute about R2.2-trillion of South Africa’s gross domestic product, with the City of Johannesburg alone contributing 16% to the national economy, and 40% to Gauteng province, the country’s economic hub.
In terms of annual budgets, Johannesburg also tops the list with R68.1-billion, while eThekwini’s budget for the 2021/2022 financial year is estimated at R52.3-billion and that for Nelson Mandela Bay is projected at R14.94-billion.
The City of Tshwane council approved a budget of R43-billion for the 2021/22 financial year, while Ekurhuleni’s annual budget stands at R46.75 billion.
“That shows that the centres of economic power are in those metros so it is of importance as the ANC – as we get into these negotiations with other political parties and other organisations – we take that into account. Our approach is that of a case by case assessment bearing in mind what is in the best interest for our communities,” the head of the ANC’s coalition committee Jeff Radebe said.
“We need to deliver services, we need to make sure that we assist the local government even using other spheres of government like the national and provincial government. We are very optimistic that as we are entering into this phase … South Africans must believe that we want to have a good deal for our people not for the ANC but for the betterment of the various communities.”
While the NEC opted to hold off on postmortem discussions on the elections during Sunday’s special meeting, one member said nobody present tried to justify the party’s failed election strategy.
“There was an admission that we could have done better and an acknowledgement that we never expected this. We will continue to do analysis of the result. The focus was primarily on coalition and selections of mayors,” the member said.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the meeting, Duarte said no agreements had been reached with any party outside of those that had indicated that they would work with the ANC throughout the country wherever they have a seat.
[/membership]