The ANC’s national working committee (NWC) has recommended reconstituting the rules of engagement for the government of national unity (GNU).
This comes as the DA federal executive committee heard from some of its ministers that the party should leave the GNU.
The two parties held meetings on Monday night and decided on more engagement on the GNU.
ANC insiders said the NWC instructed its negotiating team to make contact with all its partners, and ActionSA, to reconstitute the GNU within a week.
They said this could mean ActionSA will be included in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet should it agree to be part of the GNU.
The party insiders said the NWC is of the view new rules must be set for its GNU partners to avoid a repeat of the budget crisis which played out in parliament last week.
The rules to be formulated by the ANC’s negotiating team with its GNU partners will be adopted by the national executive committee (NEC) when it meets, one insider said.
I don't think any side is brave enough to walk away. We are all waiting for the one to push the other out. It's a wait-and-see game for us, and part of the problem is that the ANC is not ready to share power. That has been the overriding problem from the beginning of this GNU
— DA insider
“We are not deviating from what the president said to the [ANC] caucus last week, which is to create conditions for them to leave, because we are going back to the DA to say these are the new rules and they will predictably say they don't agree. If this happens, we can say if you don't agree with the new rules, you must leave,” one ANC leader said.
Ramaphosa was heard in a leaked audio last week telling the ANC caucus the DA had defined itself out of the GNU.
The insider said part of the rules will mean the DA must abandon its court challenges against the budget and the Expropriation Act.
“The team must go back and speak to everyone again on the new set of rules that will accompany the statement of intent, which everyone must agree to. That will also include that their ministers can be subject to reprimand should they go against the government or the president's instructions,” another NWC member said.
They said the ANC’s negotiating team, which is led by its secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and includes chairperson Gwede Mantashe, deputy secretary-generals Nomvula Mokonyane and Maropeni Ramokgopa and a technical team, must also make clear to the DA that “dissent by its ministers will not be tolerated”.
The insider said the negotiating team was instructed to make it clear that ministers account to the president and not to the DA. They said DA ministers who have gone against the president, including basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube, public works minister Dean McPherson and DA leader and agriculture minister John Steenhuisen, must be reprimanded.
“Steenhuisen questioned the government's foreign policy during the president's visit in Russia, McPherson has publicly stated he will not implement the Expropriation Act, and deputy minister for trade, industry and competition, Andrew Whitfield, went to the US without informing the president. That will no longer be tolerated.
“You can't continue being in cabinet and behaving the way they have been, and that was the view of the entire meeting. The team must go back to them to make it clear that when we reconfigure the GNU cabinet based on what the partners say, that will give shape to what it will look like,” the insider said.
A third party leader said the decision by the NWC was a long process to have the DA leave the GNU.
The insiders said NEC member and deputy minister of trade, industry and competition Zuko Godlimpi presented a report to the NWC on its negotiations with parties for the passing of the fiscal framework and revenue proposals.
“What Zuko was saying is that we must ensure the GNU succeeds, given the behaviour of the DA and the potential of other GNU partners behaving the same in future. For example, what happens tomorrow if two or three parties in the GNU decide we don't agree with the government's position? We said we have learnt from this, but how do we formulate this thing in such a way that we lock everyone into agreeing to behave in a particular way so we limit those who want to go rogue.”
One insider said the ANC could remove some ministries from the DA as punishment and reward ActionSA should it choose to enter into the GNU.
The Sunday Times previously reported that a view was taking shape in the ANC for the DA to have fewer ministries, with one insider saying at least two ministers should be taken away from the party.
The DA has six ministers and six deputy ministers in cabinet.
“The principal in the NWC was that we have honoured the commitment made to ActionSA and we must continue discussing it. That was reaffirmed. If you don't honour those commitments how do you pass Dora (Division of Revenue Bill)? It's annoying that we are taking the long road but I think it's the most secure one for us,” they said.
Meanwhile, two DA insiders said some ministers, including communications minister Solly Malatsi, finance deputy minister Ashor Sarupen and Whitfiled, argued for the DA to exit the GNU.
The insiders said the DA was of the view that it was in an advantageous position with the ANC, and Ramaphosa is increasingly feeling the pressure to negotiate with the party.
“I don't think any side is brave enough to walk away. We are all waiting for the one to push the other out. It's a wait-and-see game for us, and part of the problem is that the ANC is not ready to share power. That has been the overriding problem from the beginning of this GNU.”
Speaking at the Ahmed Kathrada Legacy Fundraising Breakfast Series, deputy president Paul Mashatile said DA ministers should be ashamed of continuing with their jobs after they had rejected the budget.
He said: “The DA nevertheless went and did not vote for the budget, but I see some of them are working today as ministers. I’d be ashamed to do that. How can you run to work as a minister without voting for the budget and think it's OK?”
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