By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The talks between the Democratic Aliance (DA) and African National Congress (ANC) have reached a deadlock as the two parties struggled to reach an agreement on cabinet positions in the Gauteng legislature.
On Monday night, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s announcement of his executive cabinet for the seventh administration was abruptly halted.
The DA claimed the ANC only offered it two positions out of a possible 10, which subsequently changed to just one portfolio, while the ANC said that the DA’s demands were unreasonable.
The DA said discussions on Tuesday went up until 4.30pm when it seized.
DA federal chairperson Hellen Zille said that despite some progress, the DA and the ANC have not reached an agreement on the basis of a statement of intent.
She said the crucial clauses in the statement include clause 16, which speaks to proportionality, inclusiveness and the outcomes of the election and respecting the will of the voters.
“This is not a situation where the ANC tells the DA what to do and they accept it.”
Zille said the ANC has been prepared to offer the DA a maximum of three out of 10 cabinet seats.
“This approach was not conducive to building an atmosphere of trust. We wanted clarity on these issues.
“The ANC conceded that they had intended to allocate 3 seats to the DA, and seven to themselves, out of a cabinet of 11 (including the ANC Premier). This division falls far short of the requirements set out in Clause 16 of the Declaration of Intent, given that the DA comprises 45% and the ANC 55% of the government of provincial unity (GPU), “Zille said.
Zille said the negotiations also excluded the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) that has been part of the national agreement from the start.
Meanwhile Build One South Africa (BOSA) has called on the ANC and other political parties to urgently agree on a new unity government.
Member of the Gauteng legislature Ayanda Allie said BOSA is looking forward to holding the government to account.
“Throughout the post-election period, BOSA has met with several political parties (including the ANC) on a wide range of issues, including the best way for the country to move forward.
“These meetings took place ‘one-on-one or ‘party-to-party’. We felt that this was not the best possible way to negotiate.
“For this reason, we called for a national convention where all parties can discuss openly and transparently so as to reach a consensus quicker. Our objective was to initiate talks on agreeing on a government agenda, not be a part of government.”