Zille said the DA will continue engaging the ANC in Gauteng to find “common ground.” Photo: X/@Our_DA
Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chairperson Helen Zille said despite the progress in negotiations between the DA and the African National Congress (ANC), the parties have not reached an agreement in Gauteng.
Zille was speaking during an urgent press conference on Tuesday night after the DA in Gauteng failed to reach a deal with the ANC after deadlocked negotiations over cabinet positions that were held behind closed doors.
On Monday night, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s announcement of his executive cabinet for the seventh administration was abruptly halted amid claims from both the ANC and DA of the other negotiating in bad faith.
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.
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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 today 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.
“We stated that this intention did not meet the requirement of good faith to the original signatories of the government of national unity (GNU).
“The ANC’s position also illustrated their refusal to discuss with us which other parties they wished to include. It was a smokescreen to hide the fact that they were planning to allocate a full seven cabinet posts to themselves, while leaving us with three,” Zille said.
Zille said the DA is prepared to enter the GPU in Gauteng as a power-sharing partnership, to reflect the will of the electorate.
“We are not prepared to be co-opted by the ANC on their own terms, acting as if it still has an overall majority. We cannot agree to be taken hostage in a Government of Provincial Unity.”
Zille said the DA will continue engaging the ANC in Gauteng to find “common ground.”
“Our door remains open to further negotiation when the ANC is genuinely committed to treating us as a party that is almost the same size as they are in Gauteng. We will, again, come to the table in an atmosphere of mutual respect and negotiate in good faith.
“The DA is willing to enter into negotiations with any party and the EFF is not one of those,” Zille said
Zille added that whatever happens in their negotiations with the ANC in Gauteng, the DA will not pull out of the KwaZulu-Natal government of provincial unity and allow the uMkhonto weSizwe party (MK) and the Econocmic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to take over the province.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the GNU on the national level will remain intact.
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