Simon Nare
THE ANC said the DA is using bullying tactics with its “outlandish and outrageous’ demands” for specific Cabinet positions and has accused the senior partners of its main ally in the multi-party coalition – of negotiating in bad faith.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said without mentioning the DA by name that negotiating through leaking demands to the media will not help the cause of any party in the coalition government.
Mbalula pointed out that the appointment of national executive was the prerogative of President Cyril Ramaphosa who will do this in consultation with all parties who have signed up to the model of a government of national unity.
Mbalula was responding to a leaked letter purported to be sent to him by his counterpart in the DA, Hellen Zille where she outlined her party’s demands of 11 cabinet positions, including that of Deputy President or Minister in the Presidency to leader of business, Deputy Ministers in the portfolios it is allocated as well as Director-Generals in those departments.
And bizarrely, to add to that, the DA is demanding all tenders in those departments that were awarded after the announcement of the election date to be reviewed.
Zille’s demands have irked the ANC and caused an outrage on social media and there are fears that the spat has further strained the relationship between the two parties, which is already on shaky grounds.
Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya on his X account, pointed out that there is no constitutional provision that prescribes for a proportional allocation of cabinet positions “section 9(12) of the Constitution gives the President the prerogative to appoint cabinet members”.
To which Hele Zille responded by saying: “There is the small matter of the agreement that was signed on 14 June”, she said. “It defines how that prerogative will be exercised. Entirely constitutional to do that. If he did not win an election, he has to consult those that have”.
This is not the first time that the GNU marriage has been threatened by utterances from Zille, who is the DA Federal Chairperson. Last week she shocked many when she reminded the ANC, that in terms of the agreement between the two parties, the ANC cannot bring another party into the GNU without the DA’s say-so.
The chasms transpired after the ANC invited Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance to join the party, allegedly without informing the DA forcing Zille to remind Mbalula that his party didn’t win an outright majority, so therefore, it wasn’t really in charge.
So annoyed was Mbalula by the leaked letter of demand on Monday that he had sent a stern reminder that the country could not be held at ransom by one party raising fears that there could be a parting of ways between the ANC and the DA.
With the ANC now leading a multi-party coalition that controls 287 seats in the National Assembly, the party needs one more seat and can afford to form a government without the support of the DA if the issue of Cabinet seats is not resolved amicably.
Rumours have been swirling that the ANC leadership has also met EFF and MK party leaders, perhaps a Plan B of sorts, but this has not been confirmed officially by the parties at the time of publishing.
Also, newly-appointed MK MP former Judge John Hlophe has lent credence to the rumour after he vowed to use his position to unite South Africans when he takes up his role in the opposition benches in Parliament.
The strained relations between the dominant parties – the ANC and the DA – is said to have also derailed the announcement of the Gauteng legislature after it was reported that Premier Panyaza Lesufi was ready to announce an all ANC MPL and was instructed to include the DA by Ramaphosa.
Mbalula in a statement emphasised that only the President as enjoined by the Constitution has the final say on who he appoints in his Cabinet and the multi-party coalition government could not be held at ransom by one party because only Ramaphosa makes the call on who becomes Minister.
“It is only the President who has the final say on the appointment of his Cabinet. The GNU cannot be held to ransom by any single party and the people want a government established sooner rather than later.
“The Constitution confers the executive authority of the Republic on the President as Head of State and Head of the National Executive. The President appoints the Cabinet, assigns functions to the Ministers and Ministers report to Cabinet who operate as a collective.
“Once the GNU Cabinet is formed, Ministers act as members of Cabinet, responsible for their portfolios and collectively in the interest of the nation, not their parties or sectors,” stressed Mbalula.
Mbalula also said since the ANC opened an invitation to all political parties represented in the National Assembly after the election results didn’t produce a majority winner, 10 parties have since heeded the call and signed up.
“The ANC, as the party that received the largest number of votes, after considering various options towards the formation of government, resolved that the GNU model would best fit the national interest and took the initiative to engage all parties which won parliamentary seats towards the formation of a government of national unity.
“Intense talks led by the ANC with all parties since the announcement of the election results saw a total of 10 out of 18 parties joining the GNU by 22 June 2024,” said Mbalula.
Mbalula said the process to appoint Cabinet in line with the Constitution was underway and this will be based on principles such as an inclusive approach taking into consideration electoral outcomes.
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