Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s ANC took control of seven key portfolios when he announced his 10-member provincial cabinet that excluded the DA, the second-largest political party in the provincial legislature, on Wednesday night.
Lesufi, who is ANC Gauteng chair, appointed the following MPLs to his executive:
• Treasury & economic development MEC: Lebogang Maile (ANC)
• Infrastructure development & co-operative governance & traditional affairs: Jacob Mamabolo (ANC)
• Health MEC: Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko (ANC)
• Human settlements MEC: Tasneem Motara (ANC)
• Roads and transport MEC: Kedibone Diale-Tlabela (ANC)
• Education, and sports, arts, culture & recreation MEC: Matome Chiloane (ANC)
• Social development MEC: Faith Mazibuko (ANC)
• Agriculture & rural development MEC: Vuyiswa Ramokgopa (Rise Mzansi)
• Environment MEC: Sheila Mary Peters (Patriotic Alliance)
• eGovernment MEC: Bonginkosi Dlamini (IFP)
The community safety portfolio was moved to the office of the premier.
The DA, which had been bickering with the ANC over positions for weeks, was not included in the executive as part of the government of provincial unity (GPU). However, its MPL Refiloe Ntsekhe was elected as deputy speaker of the provincial legislature recently.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said: “After robust engagements, and negotiations stretching over weeks, we have declined to take up seats on the ANC terms, and will not form part of the executive of the Gauteng GPU.”
Msimanga said after a prolonged engagement involving various senior members of parties on both ends, on Tuesday “we found ourselves unable to accept a counter to our offer. The offer made to the DA was and continues to be one we find both unfair and unreasonable.”
The DA was unhappy the ANC wanted to offer it only three positions and wanted the portfolios to be shared proportionally.
Msimanga said the DA could not be part of “a government that does not value fairness, proportionality and principles in the same way we do”.
The ANC in Gauteng had to invite political parties to join the GPU after its electoral support plummeted to 36.4% during the recent general election, down from the 50.1% and 53.5% it mustered in the 2019 and 2014 elections, respectively.
In the 80-seat Gauteng provincial legislature, the ANC holds 28 seats, followed by the DA with 22, EFF 11, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) eight, ActionSA three, Freedom Front Plus two, Patriotic Alliance two, and one seat each for the IFP, Rise Mzansi, Build One SA and African Christian Democratic Party.
Msimanga said: “The DA has a long history of being a strong and unforgivingly thorough opposition. We are both comfortable and proud to enter back into the opposition benches from where we will serve the people of Gauteng.”
Update: July 3 2024
This article has been updated with new information.
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