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Ā Picture courtesy: (Gallo Images / Fani Mahunts) Gauteng ANC postpones Cabinet announcement twice due to DA dispute.
(The Post News)- The announcement of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s new cabinet has been delayed once again due to a disagreement between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA). This is the second time the announcement has been postponed.
The ANC and DA are arguing over which parties will be included in the Provincial Government of Unity (GPU) and how many positions each party will get.
The DA wants more positions and is refusing to back down, while the ANC is insisting that other parties must be included.
The ANC in Gauteng needs to form a government of unity because it lost a lot of support in the recent election and no longer has enough seats to govern alone. The party has been talking to other parties to join the GPU, but the DA is not happy about this.
The ANC says the DA is being unreasonable and trying to dictate which parties can be included. The DA is refusing to budge, and the dispute is holding up the announcement of the new cabinet.
This delay is similar to what happened at the national level, where the DA and ANC also disagreed over which parties would be included in the government of national unity. In the end, the EFF and MK were left out, but the PA was included.
The DA is unhappy with the ANC’s offer of only two MEC positions, despite the DA bringing in 27% of the votes. The DA wants four MEC positions and has proposed that the ANC give one or two positions to smaller parties. However, the ANC has refused this proposal.
The standoff in Gauteng contrasts with the national level, where President Cyril Ramaphosa has integrated the DA into his cabinet, allocating them six ministerial positions and six deputy minister posts.
Annelie Lotriet of the DA was also elected as deputy speaker of parliament.
The ANC and DA are at odds over the formation of the GPU, with the ANC insisting on including other parties and the DA wanting a greater share of power.
The dispute highlights the challenges of forming a government of unity, particularly in a province as economically important as Gauteng.
The ANC in Gauteng is determined to go ahead with the GPU, even if the DA doesn’t agree.
The party says it won’t be bullied by the DA and will work with other parties to form a government that represents all the people of Gauteng.