The Gauteng cabinet announcement has hit a roadblock due to disputes between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) over portfolio allocations.
Despite being the only province yet to announce its cabinet, Gauteng’s executive members’ announcement has been postponed twice. Helen Zille, the DA’s chairperson of the federal council, attributed the delay to the ANC’s greed. According to her, the ANC demanded the majority of seats, leaving little room for the DA or other parties.
The DA emphasizes that Clause 16 from the Statement of Intent of the Government of Provincial Unity should guide seat allocation. This clause advocates for proportional sharing of seats.
While the DA is open to a power-sharing partnership in Gauteng’s government of provincial unity, they refuse to be co-opted solely by the ANC. Zille stated that the ANC’s behavior assumes an overall majority in Gauteng.
In negotiations, the ANC initially wanted to keep seven seats for themselves. Eventually, they agreed to drop two seats—one for the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and another for the Patriotic Alliance. However, this compromise still falls short of proportional representation.
Regarding chairs in the Gauteng legislature, the proposal was for the DA to take six out of 17 seats. Despite the shortfall, the DA was willing to accept this allocation, emphasizing the spirit of the statement of intent . The delicate balance of power continues to shape the province’s political landscape.