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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng said it was impossible for it to be co-opted into government by the African National Congress (ANC), noting that the coalition parties are meant to be power sharing partners.

The DA explained that after robust negotiations with the ANC, they had decided to decline to take up seats on the ANC's terms. The ANC wanted to give the DA three MEC positions but they declined, hoping for four.

"After robust engagements, and negotiations stretching over weeks, we have declined to take up seats on the African National Congress' terms, and will not form part of the Executive of the Gauteng Government of Provincial Unity (GPU)" said leader of the DA in Gauteng Solly Msimanga.

He said that his party was unable to accept a counter to its offer, saying it was one the party found to be "unfair and unreasonable."

Msimanga stated that negotiations were meant to be principle-based, as per the Statement of Intent that the ANC and the DA signed on a national level.

He said the ANC's Gauteng leadership, and negotiations team, did not view this critically important document in the same light, stating that if both parties were negotiating in good faith, the situation might have been different.

"That was not the case, and the DA cannot be a part of a government that does not value fairness, proportionality, and principles in the same way we do," he said.

On Wednesday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the ANC's stance was to separate national negotiations and agreements from provincial ones.

Meanwhile, despite the DA withdrawing from negotiations, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced his cabinet, comprising seven members of the ANC and one each from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and RISE Mzansi.

Bonginkosi Dlamini is appointed to eGovernment; Lebogang Maile will head the Treasury and Department of Economic Development; Matome Chiloane will head the Education and Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation; Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko is appointed to Health; Kedibone Diale-Tlabela to Roads and Transport; Faith Mazibuko to Social Development; Tasneem Motara to Human Settlements; Vuyiswa Ramokgopa to Agriculture and Rural Development; Jacob Mamabolo to Cooperative Governance and Sheila Mary Peters will head the Department of Environment.

Seven ANC MECs are from the previous sixth administration.

The ANC said it was delighted that all impasses hindering the cabinet announcement were resolved though the collective wisdom of national and provincial structures.

The ANC noted that Lesego Makhubela will continue to lead the ANC Gauteng Caucus as the Chief Whip to ensure that all the oversight mechanism and governance are fully functional.

The Gauteng South African Communist Party (SACP) provincial executive committee (PEC) wants a speedy resolution of the current impasse in finalising the provincial government cabinet.

The PEC noted with concern the ongoing impasse that has delayed the announcement of the cabinet, saying it creates an impression of a province in a state of paralysis and under siege.

The announcement of the Gauteng provincial cabinet was postponed for the second time on Monday night after African National Congress (ANC) provincial leaders were instructed by Luthuli House to postpone it.

This as the ANC and Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng failed to reach an agreement on posts in the formation of the government of provincial unity.

It is believed that the ANC wanted to give the DA three MEC positions but they declined, hoping for four. The DA argued that their seats do not qualify them for fewer positions than this as they are second after the ANC.

"The PEC is further concerned that the impasse and delays tend to elevate public discourse and narratives that overshadow issues affecting the working class, relegating such issues to the periphery in what seems to be a narrow focus on cabinet positions," the SACP said.

The PEC noted and welcomed the election of Panyaza Lesufi as Gauteng Premier, extending its best wishes as he tackled the myriad challenges facing the province.

The SACP explained that while cabinet positions were critical for leveraging State power to transform and improve the living conditions of the people, it believed it was important to elevate the strategic questions and priorities as stated in the ANC Election Manifesto.

As matters stand, the party's observation is that these issues affecting the working class have taken a back seat in what may appear as "political machinations and point-scoring, potentially deepening confusion . . . especially within the motive forces of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR)".

"To this end, the PWC calls for all progressive forces in the province to exercise maximum unity and calm during these complex and trying times. It is precisely under these circumstances that maximum revolutionary unity is absolutely crucial. We firmly believe that anything that borders on confusion and division undermines the strategic task of deepening, advancing, and defending the NDR on the complex terrain of the Government of Provincial Unity," the SACP said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Joe Biden expressed their shared commitment to advancing the 'special relationship' between the US and South Africa.

Through a telephone call to Ramaphosa, Biden congratulated him on his re-election as President and the successful formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), pledging working relations with South Africa.

Ramaphosa was re-elected as President for a second term after his party struck a deal with political rivals, following the African National Congress losing its outright majority in the 2024 national and provincial elections.

Biden said the US would work closely with the seventh administration in South Africa on key areas such as economic growth, job creation, social development and climate change.

The two leaders also discussed the US-South Africa bilateral relationship, and areas of future partnership including leadership in the G20.

"Together, the US and South Africa are committed to deepening their cooperation and advancing their shared interests, including growing economic prosperity, combating the climate crisis, strengthening health systems, and ensuring that democracy delivers for all people," Biden said in his call with Ramaphosa.

While Biden confirmed that he would visit South Africa and participate in the G20 meetings, Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation for this commitment and in turn extended an invitation to Biden to undertake a State visit to South Africa.

Dates will be confirmed by the respective diplomatic teams.

The African National Congress (ANC) said Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi intends to conclude all negotiations, consultations and announce the appointment of Members of the Executive Council on Wednesday.

The announcement of the Gauteng provincial cabinet was postponed for the second time on Monday night after the ANC provincial leaders were instructed by Luthuli House to postpone it.

This as the ANC and Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng failed to reach an agreement on posts in the formation of the government of provincial unity.

It is believed that the ANC wanted to give the DA three MEC positions but they declined, hoping for four.

Addressing the media on the formation of the Gauteng government of provincial unity (GPU), ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said that the DA was advised that if they are to be part of the GPU, they would need to meet the deadline of 14:00 on Wednesday to form a government.

He said the ANC's stance is to separate national negotiations and agreements from provincial ones.

There have been further engagements since then, he said.

"It is our heartfelt wish that all parties, including the Democratic Alliance, will form part of a Government of Provincial Unity to serve the people of Gauteng, and South Africa. The ANC will continue to exercise its leadership role by engaging with every party, including those who are not part of the GPU, in the interests of transformation, redress, national unity, peace and stability," said Mbalula.

He indicated that the DA is not the only party the ANC is negotiating with on the setting up of the Gauteng Government of Provincial Unity.

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement of his new Cabinet, the African Christian Democratic Party has expressed concern about the country's economic status.

The party said it was extremely disappointed with the bloated Cabinet appointed by Ramaphosa to accommodate 11 parties in the Government of National Unity in spite of the fact that there's been a lot of support for reducing rather than increasing the executive.

Ramaphosa's Cabinet has grown from 30 to 32 Ministerial portfolios and 43 deputy Ministers.

ACDP president Reverend Kenneth Meshoe said this was larger than that of the US at 26, the UK at 24, Japan at 20 and Germany who has a mere 17 Ministerial portfolios.

"…it must be noted that these countries are much bigger in their respective economies and in their population size," he said.

Meshoe explained that rather than Ramaphosa leading by tightening the belt, he is increasing the size of expenditure on his Cabinet and, simultaneously, denying more resources to uplift the poorest of the poor.

He noted that South Africans voted against high levels of unemployment, the high cost of living, power and water cuts, and high levels of crime.

"President Ramaphosa's new bloated Cabinet surely is not a showing of responsiveness to these priorities," he said.

He said that, in the run-up to the 2024 elections, Ramaphosa and Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen were seen promising South Africans a smaller Cabinet and fewer national government departments for the country's government to become more efficient and to save money.

"More money will now go to the salaries of Cabinet members which will deny those who are working on the ground, such as doctors and nurses, teachers and police men and women, more resources. Our hospitals are severely understaffed and it cannot be justified that with these issues mentioned," Meshoe explained.

He said the increase in size of Cabinet was indefensible, particularly as half of the portfolios now had two deputy Ministers.

"This sets a bad precedent for the future," he said.

The ACDP said Ramaphosa must ensure there is proper justification for the size of his Cabinet, especially given that half of the portfolios will now have a Minister and two deputies.

"If Ministries such as these fail, the opposition will have every right to move a motion of no-confidence in the President, and this the ACDP will support. We will remain vigilant and ensure the executive is held to account to the people of South Africa," Meshoe said.

The FW de Klerk Foundation on Tuesday expressed confidence in the newly appointed national executive of the Government of National Unity, saying it would increase transparent governance and accountability to the people of South Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced 32 ministerial positions of the GNU, with 20 position being filled by the African National Congress, six by the Democratic Alliance and the remainder split among a crowd of smaller coalition parties.

After losing its outright majority in the 2024 national and provincial elections, the ANC was forced to form a coalition government.

The foundation's executive director Christo van der Rheede said the announcement of the new Cabinet marked a significant step forward for South Africa's GNU.

"The formation of the new Cabinet, under President Ramaphosa's leadership, reflects a commitment to collaboration and the Constitution's principles. The role of the Cabinet is to work together to approve governmental policies, ensure they align with national priorities and laws and monitor their implementation across the various ministries," he explained.

Van der Rheede added that this Cabinet formation acts as a crucial step in ensuring the government addresses the needs of all South Africans.

The foundation said it stands ready to support and monitor the GNU's progress, advocating for policies that uphold constitutional values and foster national unity.

He also noted the diverse representation in the Cabinet, saying it is a testament to the willingness of these parties [in the GNU] to put aside differences for the nation's common good.

Van der Rheede said the collaborative sharing of key ministries such as Agriculture, Basic Education, Home Affairs, Sports, Arts and Culture and Public Works and Infrastructure between different parties is a promising step towards fostering unity and ensuring accountable, inclusive governance.

"…it is a positive move towards a unified and prosperous South Africa," said Legal Officer of Constitutional Programmes Ismail Joosub.

MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE

Meanwhile, AfriForum offered its cooperation to the newly appointed Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, making several suggestions on how municipal governance can be improved.

In a letter addressed to Hlabisa, AfriForum requested the Minister to regularly evaluate the performance of municipalities against established benchmarks and indicators to identify areas for improvement.

The organisation explained that it is important that national government intervenes where municipalities and provincial administration fail.

Hlabisa must facilitate cooperation between different levels of government and public enterprises - national, provincial and local - to ensure sustainable and integrated service delivery, AfriForum suggested.

The department must also act as mediator in resolving conflicts and disputes between municipalities and other stakeholders, especially in relation to utilities such as Eskom and Rand Water, it said.

The organisation also wants improvement in municipal water and sewage infrastructure, and that electricity be distributed at municipal level.

Grants must be awarded to municipalities to support various projects and operational needs and that municipalities must be monitored and supported to improve financial management practices to ensure accountability and efficient use of resources, it said.

The Economic Freedom Fighters on Tuesday demanded an end to virtual Parliamentary participation, calling for the immediate resumption of physical sittings for all sessions and committee meetings.

A Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces will be held on July 18, where President Cyril Ramaphosa will outline the priorities of the seventh administration.

As a precautionary measure to Covid-19 pandemic, to drastically limit numbers of people at the precincts in Cape Town and at the off-site Parliamentary activities, Parliament in 2020 suspended physical sittings.

The party said the introduction of virtual platforms for the business of Parliament during the Covid-19 was sensible and practical, as physical meeting were prohibited, It noted that there were, however, limitations and interruptions.

The EFF maintained that virtual participation undermines the work of Parliament, saying Parliament administration's failure to make necessary arrangements is cause for concern.

The party noted that virtual participation presents several challenges as many MPs living in remote rural areas face significant difficulties owing to poor network connectivity, which it said hampers their ability to participate effectively.

"…virtual sittings are often disrupted by technical issues, including connectivity problems and system crashes, leading to interruptions and delays. The IT infrastructure supporting virtual sittings has shown to be inadequate, resulting in frequent technical difficulties that disrupt proceedings," the party said.

The EFF added that the virtual voting system also lacks transparency, raising concerns about the integrity and accuracy of voting outcomes.

It explained that the logistics of coordinating virtual sittings are complex and have led to inefficiencies and confusion, further impeding the smooth operation of Parliamentary duties.

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said on Monday his party is pleased that the Cabinet negotiations reaffirmed the agreed-upon mechanism to break deadlocks on policy matters, that any suspicious tenders issued in departments now under DA control will be swiftly investigated, and that senior civil service appointments will not be obstructed or politicised.

"Throughout this process, the DA has pursued a clear strategic objective," he said.

President Cyril Rampahosa announced on Sunday his new Cabinet, allocating 12 portfolios to the party.

The DA has been allocated the Agriculture, Basic Education, Public Works and Infrastructure, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Home Affairs, as well Communications and Digital Technologies ministries.

The DA has further assumed Deputy Minister posts in the portfolios of Finance, Trade, Industry and Competition, Higher Education, Energy and Electricity, Water and Sanitation, as well as Small Business Development.

Steenhuisen said the DA's dual objective was to ensure that it secured meaningful influence in government, while delivering on its election pledge to rescue South Africa from parties that seek to tear up the country's Constitution.

He said the party's commitment is to painstakingly rebuild the government institutions now under its custodianship, with the aim of translating the DA's demonstrated track record of good governance and quality service delivery at municipal and provincial government, into national government.

"We will do so because our mission core in the Government of National Unity (GNU) is to serve, uplift and deliver dignity to all the people of our country. I have already told the DA members in Cabinet and Deputy posts that they carry an enormous responsibility on their shoulders," he explained.

Steenhuisen noted that as the DA now took up its rightful place at the Cabinet table, the same priorities would continue to guide the work it did, acknowledging that it would not be an easy task.

"And we must not get carried away by the significance of the moment. The truth is that the road ahead will be a difficult one. South Africa has the highest unemployment rate in the world, one of the highest crime rates in the world, logistics and infrastructure is in an advanced state of decline, and corruption is endemic," he said.

He explained that none of us should expect these problems to be resolved overnight and that it would not be solved by politicians alone.

He called on South Africans to help the GNU move the country in the right direction again.

The South African Democratic Teachers' Union has condemned what it termed the Democratic Alliance's arrogant, racist attitude and mentality of telling President Cyril Ramaphosa how to exercise his constitutional duty to appointing his Cabinet, criticising the appointment of Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.

After nearly two weeks of rigorous negotiations, Ramaphosa announced the composition of the seventh administration's National Executive. This after the African National Congress lost its outright majority in the 2024 national provincial elections.

Sadtu noted that in announcing his Cabinet, Ramaphosa mentioned experience and skills to deliver as some of the attributes of this Cabinet.

"…surely, this is not true for the Minister of Basic Education?" it said.

The union highlighted that it acknowledged that the President had a prerogative in appointing Ministers and Deputy Ministers to serve the country, saying what Sadtu knew from the leaked letters of the DA though, was that the DA demanded certain ministerial posts including basic education.

"We do not accept this arrogance and racist attitude and mentality of the DA to tell the President how to exercise his constitutional duty to appoint. We cannot condone this behaviour because it will set a very dangerous precedent that will destroy our democracy and social cohesion agenda of our county," Sadtu said.

Last week in a detailed letter addressed to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, DA federal chairperson Helen Zille said it was "only fair and reasonable" for the DA to be represented across all Cabinet clusters.

The union noted that while it had no powers to dictate to Ramaphosa who to appoint, Gwarube was an affront to Sadtu.

It said the DA had in its election manifesto declared war against the union lamenting that Sadtu was too strong and must be dealt with.

"They said they believe that the failures of the education system are because the ANC has allowed our education system to be captured by the vested interests of Sadtu. This deficit narrative is engrained and enmeshed in their propaganda and ideology. The union does not appoint any personnel to any institution but just like all other unions, it observes the process to ensure a fair process in the best interest of our education and our communities," it said.

Sadtu explained that the DA refused to acknowledge the role of "colonial and apartheid" education systems, which it said had entrenched inequalities for centuries and decades, rather putting the blame on Sadtu, teachers and learners.

"…therefore, no amount of persuasion can convince Sadtu that the DA accepted the position in order to ensure quality and equitable education. Their motive is to weaken the unions, in particular Sadtu," it said.

Meanwhile, the union also noted Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane's appointment, urging her to immediately focus on rooting out corruption in the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and in technical vocational education and training colleges.

Political parties have expressed disappointment with President Cyril Ramaphosa's move to enlarge his Cabinet, after promising to significantly downsize the number of portfolios.

On Sunday Ramaphosa announced his much anticipated Cabinet, following the 2024 national and provincial elections which saw the African National Congress losing it outright majority for the first time since 1994.

Ramaphosa announced the appointment of 32 Ministers and 42 Deputy Ministers, with Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen and Inkatha Freedom Party leader Velenkosini Hlabisa being allocated ministerial positions.

According to the ANC, ten out of 18 parties with seats in the National Assembly have signed the Statement of Intent - the ANC, DA, IFP, Patriotic Alliance; GOOD; Pan Africanist Congress of Azania; Freedom Front Plus; United Democratic Movement; Rise Mzansi and Al Jama-ah.

The Economic Freedom Fighters noted that Ramaphosa's bloated Cabinet signalled more pressure on tax payers to allow for the accommodation of "racists and their policies in high position of power".

"The announcement by Cyril Ramaphosa confirms that the ANC has abandoned its historical role as a liberation movement in Africa, and has solidified its role as an instrument of white supremacy and domestic and global capital on the continent," said the EFF.

The party noted that by allocating the DA six ministerial posts, six deputy ministerial roles and the position of deputy speaker of the National Assembly, the ANC had surpassed the compromises they made in the historic 1994 administration.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba noted that the "bloated and compromised" Cabinet was a bad first impression for the new grand coalition and any intention of bringing meaningful reform to the politics that was voted out by a majority in this election.

The party acknowledged that this announcement put an end to a period of great uncertainty for South Africans.

Mashaba highlighted that Ramaphosa's Cabinet would collectively cost over R1-billion annually in benefits and perks, with R183-million allocated to salaries of Ministers and Deputy Ministers alone.

Among other perks afforded to Cabinet Ministers, taxpayers can expect to cover a R2.68-million salary for each Minister and R2.2-million for each Deputy Minister, he said.

On top of this, taxpayers will cover over R500-million for VIP protection and security and over R390-million for support staffing.

Mashaba said his party asserted that this new grand coalition government failed to put a reformist foot forward.

"…years of opposition parties publicly calling for a smaller Cabinet and the replacement of failed or implicated Ministers have been silenced. This is precisely why ActionSA believes, now more than ever, the voice of an uncompromised unofficial opposition is going to be required," he said.

Build One South Africa said it was firmly opposed to extending patronage using Cabinet positions, calling for the removal of blue light brigades; VIP security detail; million-rand luxury cars; business class flights and travel and catering benefits.

GNU cabinet appointments attached.