Election battleground: An EFF-ANC coalition could help Panyaza return as Gauteng premier

Gauteng premier and ANC chairperson Panyaza Lesufi could come back as premier of Gauteng after the elections predicts political analyst Piet Croucamp.

ANC-EFF coalition beneficial for Lesufi

Lesufi has been at the top of coalition arrangements in Gauteng leaning towards an EFF-ANC coalition which has given birth to coalition arrangements in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.

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Despite concerns from the ANC’s national structures on the dysfunctional coalition structures in Johannesburg and other municipalities Lesufi had been seen on many occasions making moves to preserve the ANC’s coalition with the EFF.

The ANC in Gauteng won the 2019 polls with a reduced seat total of only 37 seats, the threshold for a majority. The DA underperformed and lost support in this election, losing three seats, which only gave it 20 seats in the provincial legislature.

The EFF was the third-largest party in the Gauteng legislature and was expected to be a key player in coalition politics in this election.

Croucamp said it is clear that Lesufi is laying the foundation for his return to the premiership of Gauteng.

Lesufi has strengthened his campaign in the media and used his premiership to focus on job creation and improving security and infrastructure in Gauteng.

“If you lose political authority in Gauteng and KZN then you make political arrangements that you would not have necessarily made. There is a likelihood that Panyaza Lesufi will remain the premier of Gauteng. I think he will go into an arrangement with the EFF,” Croucamp said.

He said there was some reluctance from other parties to work with the EFF in Gauteng because of the demands that it has made in coalition arrangements.

The DA has described a coalition arrangement between the ANC and the EFF as being dangerous for service delivery because of fights over powerful positions in Gauteng municipalities such as Johannesburg.

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“We have seen that Panyaza Lesufi since he became premier, he has been more inclined to be in a coalition with the EFF which most other political parties will be hesitant to because of the hard bargaining of the EFF not only for position but for powerful positions,” Croucamp said.