DA will not form part of the Gauteng Government of Provincial Unity

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng will not form part of the Provincial Government of Unity after failing to reach an agreement with the African National Congress (ANC).  

This comes as negotiations between the two parties were deadlocked over positions in the province’s executive council. As a result, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi had to postpone his announcement of members of the executive council on Monday. Lesufi postponed the announcement for the second time.

DA TAKES OPPOSITION BENCHES IN GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE 

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said that after robust engagements and weeks of negotiations, they have declined to take up seats on the ANC’s terms and will not form part of the Executive of the Gauteng Government of Provincial Unity (GPU).

Msimanga said that after a prolonged engagement involving various senior members of parties on both ends, they found themselves unable to accept a counteroffer to their offer. The offer made to the DA was and continues to be one we find both unfair and unreasonable.

“In the spirit of unity and to build a relationship with a foundation of trust, we entered these critical negotiations. It is, however, impossible for the DA to be co-opted into government, as we are meant to be power-sharing partners.

“We will not be functionaries who rubber stamp decisions made by an executive that, evidently, is intent on keeping us on the edge of the fray. Beyond the problematic nature of an attitude that seemingly does not understand what their significant loss of the vote share in Gauteng entails, an air of refusal to be partners, which ultimately is the goal, dominated conversations,” Msimanga explained. 

In addition, Msimanga said negotiations are meant to be principle-based, as per the Statement of Intent that both the ANC and the DA signed nationally. However, the ANC’s Gauteng leadership and negotiations team do not view this critically important document in the same light.

“If both parties had been negotiating in good faith, the situation might have been different now. That was not the case, and the DA cannot be part of a government that does not value fairness, proportionality, and principles as we do,” the DA Gauteng leader added.

BLUE PARTY WAS STILL WILLING TO NEGOTIATE

On Tuesday, the DA said its door remains open for further negotiation when the ANC is genuinely committed to treating them as a party of the same size as them.

The two parties have almost the same number of seats (28 for ANC; 22 for DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. 

During a media briefing, the DA revealed that the ANC has been prepared to offer it a maximum of three out of ten Cabinet seats without telling them how many seats they intend to take for themselves and how many they propose to offer to other parties.

The party said this approach was not conducive to building an atmosphere of trust and wanted clarity on these issues.

DA Federal chairperson Helen Zille revealed that the  ANC conceded that they had intended to allocate three seats to the DA and seven to themselves out of a cabinet of 11 (including the ANC Premier).