The so called Government of National Unity is yet to take off as parties disagree over cabinet positions.
The dispute is mainly between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance, the second largest party in the arrangement which is demanding among others a dozen or so cabinet positions including the position of deputy president or a ministry in the presidency with the powers of a deputy president. The stand-off has seen DA Federal Executive Chairperson Helen Zille engage in an exchange with presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya on social media platform X with the former Western Cape premier shooting down an argument that appointment of ministers was the prerogative of the president.
“There’s the small matter of the agreement signed on June 14th,” said Zille of the deal that she has suggested the ANC leadership does not understand fully. Zille said President Cyril Ramaphosa could not exercise the prerogative to appoint whoever he wants when he did not win the May 29 elections.
“If he did not win an election, he has to consult those that contribute to a majority. Especially when an agreement is in place, no rocket science,” she posted. The DA is also demanding key ministries in the criminal justice and economic sectors and has leaked its list of demands to the media, a move slammed by the ANC as a dirty trick.
“The ANC has noted with concern that some parties have been making outlandish and outrageous demands for specific cabinet positions in the media. Negotiating by leaking demands to the media is an act of bad faith, and this practice will not help the cause of any party at the negotiating table,” said the ANC in a statement.
The ANC has at least gotten away with not consulting its allies in the Tripartite Alliance who have consistently campaigned for the party since the dawn of democracy. Cosatu revealed on Monday that it was waiting for an alliance consultation meeting in which the ANC was to respond to the alliance rejection of the DA, when an announcement was made that a deal had been reached.
“We were briefed to say there were negotiations and we voiced our objections to the inclusion of the DA and we were still waiting to meet again with the ANC but instead it convened its own NEC ( National Executive Committee meeting) and announced the GNU. Were we spoken to? Yes, consulted? No because while we understand that being consulted doesn’t mean your view will be taken but at least you were heard so we’ve got to distinguish between being briefed and consulted which are different things. We understand that the ANC finds itself in a difficult situation and chose to handle this as an independent component of the alliance,” said the federation’s first deputy president Mike Shingange.
Meanwhile a similar standoff ensued in Gauteng where premier Panyaza Lesufi has expressed frustration at having to work with the DA. Lesufi had planned to announce his cabinet on Sunday but postponed the announcement at the eleventh hour owing to disappointment with the DA.