Gauteng ANC talks with DA continue — but party also negotiates with EFF, MK

While it seems the ANC is discussing the possibility of securing a deal to collaborate with the DA in all spheres of government, the party’s Gauteng leadership appears to favour working with the EFF and MK party. 

Daily Maverick understands that the ANC’s Gauteng leadership has been locked in meetings where negotiations have been under way to appoint a cabinet. The dominant view of the provincial leadership is to continue its relationship with the red berets.

At the same time, the provincial ANC has been meeting the DA and held talks with the party on Tuesday.

ANC insiders have mentioned that the EFF has asked the ANC to reinstate its provincial leader Nkululeko Dunga as finance MMC in the City of Ekurhuleni. Dunga was removed recently by mayor Doctor Xhakaza, who said the decision had been taken to fast-track the completion and approval of the annual budget. 

If Dunga does not return, the EFF expects at least two provincial MEC positions, one in the finance department and the other in health. It is believed that the MK party will get at least one position.

Troubled union 

The ANC and EFF have had ongoing turmoil in Ekurhuleni since deciding to work together.

In a letter written by ANC Ekurhuleni task team co-ordinator Jongizizwe Dlabathi in June 2022 to the party’s provincial secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza and ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, he lamented the disadvantages of the partnership.

Dlabathi said an assessment of the partnership with the EFF needed to be made as it would harm the standing of the ANC and the ability to take forward its aims and objectives. 

In October 2023, the ANC’s head of political education, David Makhura (a former Gauteng premier), called the EFF a “proto-fascist party run dictatorially” and said it was using the ANC to build its power base. 

For six months, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has ignored the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to cut ties with the EFF and it looks like the province’s power brokers now hope to strengthen them. The party continues to work with the EFF in the City of Johannesburg. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: ANC NEC supports cutting ties with ‘dictatorial’ EFF and pro-Israel PA in municipal coalitions

Moving target

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Nciza would not be drawn on whether the province was blatantly ignoring the directive of its national leadership. He was also tight-lipped about the state of negotiations and the possibility of working with the DA, saying he would not entertain “gossip”.

“Gauteng has the right to negotiate like anyone else, we are just waiting on our national leadership to give us direction. We are willing to form a government with parties that agree with us and the government of provincial unity.

“Coalitions are a moving target. There is no formal agreement which has been done at provincial level which affects the municipalities,” he said.

The MK party’s national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party would make an announcement once the matter had been concluded. The EFF declined to comment.

DA provincial chairperson Fred Nel said, “We are working, we are still negotiating. We have not reached an agreement yet. We met a few times in the last three weeks. The last meeting was yesterday.

“Both parties know where we stand with each other currently, so from that point of view I would say it has gone the way it should have thus far. Possibly slower than anticipated, but that is the nature of negotiations.”

The ANC’s support declined significantly in the 2024 national and provincial elections. In Gauteng, the party won 36% compared with 50% in 2019, which means a coalition needs to be formed at provincial level. The DA won 26%, the EFF 12% and MK 10%.

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Despite this, Lesufi was elected unopposed during a special house sitting at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature earlier this month. Former arts and culture MEC in Gauteng, Morakane Mosupyoe, was elected speaker of the legislature unopposed.

Lesufi was supposed to announce his cabinet on Sunday. However, this has been indefinitely postponed. 

The ANC has 28 seats in the provincial legislature, the DA 22, EFF 11, MK eight, Freedom Front Plus and PA two, while Rise Mzansi, Bosa, the IFP and ACDP each have one seat. DM