The ANC and DA are clashing over GNU.
According to a new report by IOL, there has been anxiety over the President Cyril Ramaphosa’s anticipated cabinet announcement. This is as a result of the clash between the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance who are both involved in the Government of National Unity.
IOL also reports on a lot of jostling for posts in the cabinet among the two parties in letters that made rounds on social media on Thursday. Everyone is looking to see if Ramaphosa will succumb to the demands of the DA.
The publication also writes that according to a new letter by the president, the ANC is ready to leave if the DA refuses to accept what they’ve been offered. He is also said to be finalizing his decisions in a week.
DA leader John Steenhuisen also sent a letter to the president confirming that he (the president) offered the party the six departments including Home Affairs, Basic Education, Trade, Industry and Competition, Public Works and Infrastructure, Communications and Digital Technologies and Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and Finance, Energy and Electricity and Small Business Development deputy ministry positions.
According to him, the offer had been taken to his party, and after much deliberations, they were not happy with the six positions and wanted more.
“In terms of the quantum of portfolios, there remains concern within our structures that the DA is sacrificing from our proportional allocation more than the ANC … On a pure proportional basis, out of a Cabinet of 30, the DA’s share of support within the GNU translates to nine positions rather than the six that are currently on the table.“
“Similarly, we cannot see the rationale for reducing the number of DA Deputy Ministries to only four. Logic would dictate that this quantum would be the same, or close to, the number of Cabinet portfolios.“
“Overall, it is difficult to see how reducing our quantum in this way gives expression to clause 16 of the Statement of Intent, as it is neither reflective of the electoral outcomes nor the national interest. It is going to be extremely difficult for me to get my party to accept a third of the ANC’s allocation when we won more than half the number of votes of the ANC,” the letter read.
The DA is demanding two more cabinet portfolios in addition to the six already on the table. This includes the departments of Sports, Arts and Culture, Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform or Public Service and Administration.
“I am proposing these three options as alternatives to a Minister in the Presidency, Transport and International Relations, as I accept your rationale for assigning these to the ANC. Assigning two of these portfolios to the DA would take our quantum in Cabinet from six to eight, which would satisfy clause 16 by better reflecting the will of the people as expressed in the electoral outcome, while also taking into account the national interest.”
In his reply, Ramaphosa revealed that the ANC rejected the DA’s demands and slammed a letter sent by Helen Zille. The president’s letter read,
“I informed you (Steenhuisen) that the habit of negotiating through correspondence, as adopted by the DA, can be problematic. It can make, for example, parties play to the gallery of public opinion through the media leakages resulting in the loss of focus on the real substance of the negotiations.”
“I also informed you that we found the letter from your federal chairperson (Zille) offensive, condescending and inconsistent with the Constitution. I believe the DA has jeopardised the foundation of setting up the GNU by moving the goal posts in your letter. I’m really taken aback as to how you would want two more portfolios to bring the DA’s portfolios to eight.”
He also threatened that the ANC could decide to walk.
“The ANC could continue with the minority government. They could try to make the GNU work led by the ANC, DA and the IFP. The ANC could also turn to the left and start negotiations with the EFF or the fourth scenario would be potential instability in the country and move for elections.”
