Mbalula to brief media amid tussle for positions in Lesufi’s Cabinet

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is expected to address the media on Wednesday after the ANC and Democratic Alliance (DA) failed to reach an agreement.

Negotiations between the two parties on the division of powers in premier Panyaza Lesufi’s executive broke down once again on Tuesday.

ANC briefing

This leaves Gauteng as the only province without an executive as frustrated residents in the province wait for meaningful change.

Acting ANC national spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi said Mbalula would address the media at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

“The address relates to the formation of the Gauteng government of provincial unity (GPU).”

During the DA’s media briefing on Tuesday, the DA’s federal council chairperson Helen Zille said the party was willing to return to the opposition benches in the Gauteng legislature amid the tussle for positions in Lesufi’s Cabinet.

ALSO READ: DA says no deal with ANC: ‘We will not be dictated to’ – Zille

‘Hostage’

Zille revealed the ANC wanted to keep seven MEC positions in Lesufi’s executive, while offering only three to the DA.

“We are not prepared to be co-opted by the ANC on their terms alone. Acting as if the ANC still has an overall majority in Gauteng which it does not. We cannot agree to be taken hostage in the Government of Provincial Unity, in which only one party dictates the terms.”

Zille said the DA would continue to engage 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.”

KZN and national GNU not affected

Zille added that regardless of what happens in their negotiations with the ANC in Gauteng, the DA will not pull out of the KwaZulu-Natal GPU.

“We are not going to bring KwaZulu-Natal down if they don’t agree to the documents terms in Gauteng, we are not going to do that, we are not irresponsible people. We don’t want to hand KwaZulu-Natal to the MK and EFF. It will be a total disaster for that province.

“So, we are not about to do that. There are levers that we are going to use, obviously there are, but we are not going to say the people of KwaZulu-Natal can be thrown to the dogs, not at all,” Zille said.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the government of national unity on national level would also remain intact.

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