A possible deal between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) over hung municipalities resulting from the 2016 Local Municipal Elections was scuppered by the ANC’s alleged intransigence over its leader and the country’s President Jacob Zuma.
The party will now hedge its votes with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other opposition parties where they could muster the numbers to form councils. This according to EFF president, Commander in Chief Julius Malema at a press conference at Setswetla Informal Settlement on 17 August.
Malema said the failed negotiations between them and the Gauteng ANC provincial and national leaders could have seen the EFF hedging its votes with the ANC, enabling it to get a majority and governance at most hung councils.
“The ANC failed to firmly commit to conditions we set – especially, of the removal of Zuma from the presidency and the State capture by the Gupta family. Mention of Zuma’s name makes our blood boil,” quipped Malema who said President Zuma’s association with the Guptas was a liability that caused the ANC’s poor performance in the elections.
He said Zuma’s removal was a key condition if the country was to be saved from State capture and indebtedness – particularly, from the nuclear deal he is allegedly spearheading after the Guptas bought local uranium mines to supply the nuclear project. He said this could cost the country in excess of R3 trillion. “This will bankrupt and leave the country incapable of addressing development and service delivery needs of the country for many years.”
Malema added that, instead, the ANC negotiators presented overtures for positions, some of mayors to the EFF, which wasn’t in their interest. “The public hasn’t given us a mandate to govern yet. For now, our interest is not to have an agreement with any party but, an in-principle commitment to cede our votes to the [DA] on agreed service delivery issues which shouldn’t be stalled or compromised.”
Malema added that the ANC negotiators also, needlessly, wanted to defer to their National Executive Committee
The EFF’s other conditions for a firm commitment to:
- Establish a commission of inquiry on the Guptas and on State capture
- Nationalisation of mines and banks
- Free education
- Land expropriation without compensation
- Removal of e-tolls on Joburg and Gauteng roads
- Removal of Die Stem (Afrikaans content) from the National Anthem.
Malema added that despite ideological differences, they negotiated but didn’t agree with the DA on some of these conditions. “They are, however, a better devil. We will give our votes where there is commonality on tangible service delivery which should not be delayed. This, in addition to the shared objective of getting the ANC out of power for its arrogance and deceptiveness,” he stressed.
