File photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images via Getty Images
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is racing against time to reverse the ANC’s decision to terminate the relationship between the two parties in the Gauteng metros as negotiations between the ANC and its government of national unity (GNU) partners intensify.
After the EFF’s decision not to work with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus in the unity government, the party has been sidelined because of what is perceived as “arrogant demands” in the coalition agreement.
With President Cyril Ramaphosa expected to announce his cabinet shortly, the EFF has moved to persuade the ANC to keep the local government arrangement intact.
Sources in the EFF negotiations have said that although the ANC plans to proceed with its GNU nationally, it is willing to continue their arrangement in the metros where they co-govern.
This is despite the ANC provincial executive committee’s (PEC’s) resolution early this month to terminate its relationship with the EFF in metros. To show its good faith to its new coalition partners, the ANC agreed to break its local government agreements with the EFF.
The Mail & Guardian understands that the ANC’s Gauteng leadership has been locked in meetings where negotiations have been under way to appoint a cabinet. The ANC met all parties, including the EFF and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
The EFF negotiators in the province asked for the MEC of finance and health positions in the Gauteng legislature, and the reinstatement of their dismissed member of the municipal council (MMC) of finance in Ekurhuleni, Nkululeko Dunga, to have a provincial unity government.
Dunga was dismissed by Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, who replaced him with former ANC Women’s League regional secretary, Nomadlozi Nkosi.
Before Dunga’s axing, Xhakaza reportedly took away some of his powers, including the removal of the department of information and communication technology from his portfolio.
“The decision is aimed at ensuring we can effectively fast-track the completion and approval of the annual budget, a critical task for the continued development and growth of our city. Furthermore, there is a critical need to urgently turn around the concerning financial position of the city,” Xhakaza said at the time.
EFF sources said if the ANC agreed to reinstate Dunga, it would show it is “governing in good faith and are honouring the agreement we had before the DA got involved. It does not make sense that the DA takes away the power of association they have with us,” one EFF source said.
The ANC lost its majority in Gauteng in May’s elections, taking only 36% of votes, a drop of 15 percentage points from 2019. The EFF achieved 12.97%, a slight drop from 14.67% in 2019. Newcomer the MK party, led by Jacob Zuma, received 9.79% in the province.
It is believed that the MK party will get at least one position if the ANC agrees to form a government with it and the EFF.
By Wednesday, the DA and the ANC had reached an agreement to form a GNU government nationally, which enabled Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to announce his cabinet, which comprised the DA and the Inkatha Freedom Party.
Reacting to the ANC’s decision to form a government with the DA, Dunga said the ANC had chosen its position and was expecting the arrangement with the party in all metros to be dissolved despite having had a good relationship with Lesufi.
Lesufi has previously ignored the ANC national executive committee (NEC) decision to cut ties with the EFF in the province after they were accused of using the coalition agreement to build support.
The EFF and MK party are said to be hoping that Lesufi will defy the orders and choose them, instead of the national deal with the DA.
“The ANC has made its decision. Ours is simple, we will not sell our souls to the DA. If the DA wants us out, we will follow the commander in chief’s directive to down our tools and fight them from the opposition benches,” Dunga said.
ANC provincial secretary Thembinkosi Nciza would not comment on which parties the ANC was going to choose. He said the provincial government would work with parties that align with their policy.
“Gauteng has the right to negotiate like anyone else; we are waiting on our national leadership to give us direction,” Nciza said, adding that there is no formal agreement which affects the municipalities in the province.
DA provincial leader Solly Msimanga confirmed that the party had not yet reached an agreement with the ANC, saying negotiations were ongoing.
“We have not reached an agreement yet. The last meeting was yesterday [Tuesday],” he said.
The MK party’s national spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said it would make an announcement once the matter had been concluded.
A senior DA source said should the ANC agree to form a government in the province, they will move to dissolve the coalition agreements in the metros, which would see Al Jama-ah party leader and mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, removed from his position through a motion of no confidence.
This arrangement would also see EFF MEC Ernie Makhafola and Mgcini Tshwaku replaced with unity government partners.
In Gauteng there has been a strong lobby by a section of the ANC Johannesburg region to have Gwamanda replaced by the city’s finance MMC, Dada Morero.
This comes after Al Jama-ah initially supported the so-called progressive caucus which includes small parties that oppose the GNU nationally. These parties comprise the EFF, United Democratic Movement, African Transformation Movement, United Africans Transformation and Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC).
Al Jama-Ah, UDM and the PAC have since left the group to join the government of national unity.
But Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks said he was confident that Gwamanda would retain his position in the metro. “All parties in the GNU are happy with the mayor’s leadership. If he continues that way, we feel that he should stay on,” he said.