PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has deferred the fate of the DA as a government of national unity (GNU) partner to his party’s highest decision-making body in between national conferences, the national executive committee (NEC).
This is according to several MPs who spoke to Sowetan’s sister publication, TimesLIVE, on condition of anonymity after the meeting of the ANC’s parliamentary caucus on Thursday, where there was a push for the DA to be kicked out of the GNU.
This was after the DA on Wednesday, along with the EFF, the MK Party and other smaller parties, voted against the ANC’s budget. As a result, the ANC only passed the budget by a slim margin of 194 versus 184, with the support of parties such as Action SA, Patriotic Alliance, IFP and other smaller parties
Sources said during the caucus meeting, there were MPs who argued that the DA could no longer be allowed to be in the GNU after it voted against the budget. But Ramaphosa told them only the NEC could decide the fate of the DA as a GNU partner.
They also want ministers and deputy ministers from the Freedom Front Plus ousted as their party voted against the budget.
The ANC has called a special NEC meeting for Monday to decide the way forward.
A senior ANC MP who is also a minister in the GNU, said while the DA was unlikely to exit GNU on its own accord, the NEC may push Ramaphosa’s hand in removing them. “Even if we don’t move to remove them as the government, the NEC is going to overpower us,” said the source.
The source further said the ANC would also be seen as hypocritical if it retained the DA while it excludes parties that helped it pass the budget in the GNU.
“How do we keep working with ActionSA if we don’t bring them into the GNU. It’s a self-defeating move if we don’t remove the DA and rope in these guys. How would we explain it?” asked the source.
Another insider said the most important function of a coalition government was passing the budget.
However, ANC leaders in the main remain divided on the next move of action when its NEC meets next week.
One high-ranking leader said they feared opposition parties would form a strong anti-ANC voting bloc should the DA be removed from the GNU.
“We have three options but two are the ones that we are likely to explore. There are those who want to sever ties with the DA completely and we explore a relationship with other parties.
“The problem with that is that when the DA is on the opposition benches it opens us up to a revolt on the president and we are open to votes of no confidence and such. The DA, like we have seen this week, could inadvertently team up with the EFF and MKP to remove us from power. When we are having these discussions we must factor that as a possibility.”
Sources said another option was to form a minority government which includes ActionSA. But they added that this option would also leave the ANC open to a possible onslaught in parliament.
“What we enjoyed with the DA in government was that we had two thirds majority. With a minority government … should we want to pass a bill, it’s all butts on seats. That is dangerous. If you have challenges in future with ActionSA or the other partners and they walk out, your government collapses because you need all the parties to enjoy a majority so we don’t have breathing room.”
Another option the ANC could pursue was a supply and confidence agreement with ActionSA and/or EFF. The party leader said while discussions between the ANC and EFF over their inclusion in the GNU continued until the day of the budget vote, the EFF continued to be a last resort for the party.
The ANC would have a comfortable majority were it to include the EFF in the GNU.
ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip has already warned that there would be consequences should the ANC fail to meet the agreement to reverse VAT increases.
However, Trollip did not close the door on joining the GNU, saying that they would re-evaluate their position on joining the government should the DA walk out.
An ANC leader who is advocating for a minority government argued that a continuation in government with the DA would not bode well for the ANC. He said the DA had miscalculated its importance and influence in the GNU and would continue to try to strong-arm the president to implement its manifesto.
“Another part of this is that all the other GNU partners have had enough of the DA. There is not one that we have spoken to, including the FF Plus, that doesn’t speak about the DA’s arrogance.
The DA is exploring whether it should hold on to GNU and strategically force the ANC to kick it out.
One insider previously told TimesLIVE that this option had the buy-in of DA leaders who felt that the ANC must be seen as the one collapsing the GNU.
The party’s Fedex met over the issue on Thursday, but their meeting ended with no conclusion.
Image supplied (Pres Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa has deferred the fate of the DA as a government of national unity (GNU) partner to the NEC).
