ANC resolves to terminate EFF relationship in Gauteng metros

The EFF stands the chance of becoming collateral damage as negotiations between the ANC and its potential government of national unity (GNU) partners intensifies, with the clock ticking towards the first sitting in parliament on Friday. 

TimesLIVE Premium understands the ANC in Gauteng has resolved to terminate its relationship with the EFF in metros. 

This comes after the provincial executive committee (PEC) met on Wednesday to discuss the ANC's strategy when entering into coalitions with partners in its GNU pact.

The first salvo was fired by Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza when he removed EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga as the city's finance MMC,  replacing him with former ANC Women's League regional secretary Nomadlozi Nkosi. 

The ANC in the province has had a long-standing relationship with the EFF, going so far as refusing a directive from the national executive committee (NEC) to terminate its partnership. 

The move by Xhakaza could signal things to come after the red berets refused to be part of the GNU, leaving its partners in Gauteng to fend for themselves. 

"The decision is aimed at ensuring we can effectively fast-track the completion and approval of the annual budget, a critical task for the continued development and growth of our city. Furthermore, there is a critical need to urgently turn around the concerning financial position of the city," Xhakaza said. 

The ANC lost its majority in Gauteng in the recent elections, taking only 36% of votes.  

The party's provincial structures led by its chair Panyaza Lesufi and secretary TK Nciza are understood to have started negotiations with the EFF for a unified government in Gauteng before the election results emerged. 

The talks were thwarted by the ANC's national officials, who resolved an agreed pact with other parties would cascade through hung provinces and possibly affect metros. 

In eThekwini, the ANC announced it was redeploying its mayor Mxolisi Kaunda to the National Council of Provinces. 

This is another sign the negotiations between the ANC and its partners would filter through provinces and metros.  

The EFF is perceived to have displayed "arrogance" during talks with the ANC, party insiders said. 

ANC insiders said EFF leader Julius Malema's team of negotiators were "unreasonable" during negotiations, demanding that he be made deputy president.

"Julius wants to be deputy president of South Africa or no deal at all. That’s why most of them [EFF] are upset but they are afraid of him. It’s quite unreasonable," one insider said.

The insider said the EFF would only support the ANC if it was allocated five positions in the Gauteng executive and speaker of the legislature.

"In Gauteng, the EFF with 9% says they want five MECs and a speaker. It’s unreasonable. In Ekurhuleni we are prepared to be opposition. Julius told a press conference the only way the EFF will start speaking about coalitions is if the finance MMC is given powers [to preside] over expenditure." 

A second ANC insider from Gauteng said the party would not be held to ransom by the EFF leader.

The EFF played kingmaker in the 2016 elections which allowed it to dictate the terms of engagement with other parties.

Malema had previously threatened to table a motion of no confidence against Xhakaza should the council continue to withhold powers.

"Basically, his understanding is that the mayor must be ceremonial, and the EFF runs the show. It can’t happen. We have allowed it to happen for a long time. The PEC is of the view that we’d rather be opposition in Ekurhuleni, and they can bring a motion. We don’t have a problem.

"The motion must come. We will see who will back it up. The comments Julius made about Vula M’lomo is the return of the powers of Dunga. The EFF is negotiating in bad faith. The PEC felt this is negotiating with a gun on your head, and we can’t," the insider said. 

The EFF played kingmaker in the 2016 elections which allowed it to dictate the terms of engagement with other parties.

Having failed to negotiate a deal at the time with the ANC, in a show of force Malema announced the party would instead enter into a partnership with the DA. 

However, months later the EFF turned against the partnership and aided smaller parties in the removal of Athol Trollip, then DA mayor in Nelson Mandela Bay. 

The relationship between the DA and EFF changed dramatically after its actions. It resulted in DA leader John Steenhuisen labelling the EFF the DA's "number one enemy: when he was elected for a second term in 2023. 

Hoping to play the same cards this time around, the EFF refused to form part of a GNU which involved the DA.

According to insiders, the EFF had been holding meetings with Gauteng provincial leaders and the ANC's team of national negotiators. 

This changed when the ANC's top officials held an impromptu meeting on Wednesday,  advising its provincial structures to reassess its relations with the EFF. 

While the ANC and IFP are hoping its pact with other parties would translate to provinces and metros, DA insiders said the party was not prepared to change the composition in metros. 

One DA FedEx member said it had mandated its negotiators to limit discussions to the national situation and hung provinces, including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape, where the ANC lost power. 

The DA retained its majority in Western Cape with no intention of entering into a power-sharing engagement with the ANC in the province.

"They cannot trickle into other provinces such as Limpopo and Western Cape because in those instances either the DA or ANC won a majority and those discussions cannot then trickle into local government," the FedEX member said. 

Meanwhile, the ANC was a no-show at a meeting with the DA on Wednesday night. 

It is understood the meeting was scheduled to finalise positions, including speaker of parliament, before the first sitting on Friday. 

One ANC insider said the meeting of party officials and another meeting with its alliance partners was part of the reason it failed to show up. 

The ANC's alliance partners, Cosatu and the SACP, have publicly stated their displeasure about a partnership with the DA. 

One NEC member said the alliance partners were more "understanding' and measured during the meeting.