WATCH | ‘Hypocrites who once opposed a bloated cabinet': ATM leader Vuyo Zungula on GNU partners

ATM leader Vuyo Zungula expressed little confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership on Friday saying his past tenure was characterised by an “increase in crime, illegal immigration, poverty and unemployment”. 

Zungula described Ramaphosa’s opening of parliament address on Thursday as a “speaking contest”, saying the president had no sustainable plans to address illegal immigration in South Africa. 

“There is a crisis of illegal immigration which is a national security risk. Every week we hear of military-aged men arrested in other countries en route to South Africa. These men are not refugees. Men fleeing war or persecution would never leave their wives and children behind.

“These men settled in our communities, unvetted, and have taken over the township economy which you [Ramaphosa] claim you will support,” he said during the debate in parliament on Friday on the opening address.

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber, tabling the department's 2024/25 budget in parliament this week, said the government had made plans to manage immigration.

In his speech, Zungula also criticised former opposition parties which were critics of a “bloated cabinet” but were now part of the government of national unity (GNU).

“This grand coalition has nothing to offer the people. It is a partnership of hypocrites who once were opposed to a bloated cabinet while occupying the opposition benches, but now that they are driven in blue lights, having one of the biggest cabinets in our history is no longer an issue,” he said. 

The DA previously criticised the ANC for the increase in the size of the cabine over the years. DA federal council chair Helen Zille said recently that though part of the GNU, her party was not in support of the size of the cabinet. 

“We have not taken even our fair share of the cabinet; you cannot blame the DA with six seats for a bloated cabinet. We had no idea before the announcement how big the cabinet would be. In fact we were expecting it to reduce in size,” she said in an interview with 702. 

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