‘Give us the Speaker position’: Inside Malema’s chat with Ramaphosa

EFF leader Julius Malema has seemingly played his hand in coalition talks, revealing that he had met with ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to try secure the Speaker of the National Assembly position.

For the first time in 30 years, the ANC failed to get a majority in last month’s elections. They have now proposed a Government of National Unity (GNU) and met with parties to form this coalition.

The EFF secured 3 090 020 votes, or 9.52% of the ballots cast.

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While Malema has pushed for an ANC, EFF and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party coalition, the GNU has proven more favourable.

Malema’s proposal

Addressing the media just hours before the first sitting of the National Assembly to elect a new Speaker, Deputy Speaker and President, Malema revealed he had tried to broker a deal with Ramaphosa directly.

“Despite us not participating in cabinet, we asked him to ask the ANC to support our candidate for the Speaker of the National Assembly position.

“In exchange, we will support the ANC’s candidate for president.

He said if this is rejected, the EFF is willing to take the Deputy Speaker position “on condition that the Speaker comes from the ANC and not the DA or Freedom Front Plus”.

Malema won’t stand as Speaker

Malema said he would not stand for Speaker, Deputy Speaker or chairperson of any committees.

“I know that part of the difficulty they have is with my name. If that will compromise the GNU, I will withdraw my name from all positions for a stable government,” he added.

Instead, the party will put forward EFF National Chairperson Veronica Mente for the position.

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Malema said Ramaphosa said the ANC would consider the proposal and get back to him.

He is set to meet Ramaphosa after the ANC’s special National Executive Committee meeting on Thursday evening.

DA ‘wants exclusive control over ministries’

Malema claimed Ramaphosa told him that the DA wanted complete control over certain ministries.

“The DA has got no principle agreements with the ANC, only agreements on positions. They actually told him; ‘we want one, two, three departments and they must be exclusively for us and not interfere’.

“He says he refused and told them; ‘No. We can agree on ministries but which ones must be up to the president. There cannot be a ministry exclusively for white people of the DA. Cabinet ministry is collective leadership, so there cannot be departments not accountable to the president”.