by LUKE MONTGOMERY ZUNGA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE 2024 election of South Africa produced no clear winner at National, in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal province.
However, the African National Congress (ANC) garnered higher percentages at National (40%) and Gauteng (34.76%) followed by Democratic Alliance (DA) at 21% (national) and 27% in Gauteng.
In KwaZulu Natal Umkhondo we Sizwe (MK) garnered 45%. The craftiness of the President was to woo the DA into government and drafted a proposal wherein the DA was lured to support the ANC into a government, which they called, Government of National Unity.
With the support of the DA, the ANC’s President was assured of re-lection. The ANC and the DA together delivered 61% (40+21) in Parliament and the President sailed through, joined by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and later National Freedom Party(NFP).
Without the DA, President Cyril Ramaphosa stood at a precipice of being knocked out of the chair. The DA bought into the government of national unity (GNU) idea amid allegations of greed for seats and opposition by ANC partners, such as the South African Communist Party (SACP) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
The principle was that the same partners would deliver the same model where there is no outright winner.
In KwaZulu Natal, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) seized the opportunity and formed a government of four smaller parties of the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP on the same model.
The Premier of KwaZulu came from the IFP in the person of Thami Ntuli. The MK Party with 45% of the provincial electorate was booted out. It was a sour pill for MKP who are planning to pull the carpet. The pawn is the NFP, whose sole candidate tossed into Thami’s corner.
In Gauteng, the DA and the same partners, joined by other smaller parties, approved the re-election of Panyaza Lesufi as premier.
Judging from the DA press conference, the DA relied on the Agreement for power sharing of seats in an equitable way in Gauteng Province.
But Panyaza Lesufi did not follow the script. He denied the DA legitimate coalition expectation and acquired the IFP, Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Rise Mzansi who got a consolation provincial seat.
The DA expectation for at least 5 to 6 seats in the provincial executive was shattered.
There lies the problem for Panyaza Lesufi and the whole Province. The DA relied on a signed document, whose interpretation may require the courts to express on. The DA can win at court, resulting in reversing the government.
Further, with 28 seats out of 80 Provincial seats, Lesufi of the ANC relies on IFP (1), PA (2) and Rise Mzansi (1), thus only 32 seats. He will not get support from MK (8 seats), DA (22 seats), EFF (11 seats), Action SA (3 seats) etc, opposition totalling at least 46 seats. It is a perched government without strong footing, one built on arrogance and greed.
Panyaza cheated by dropping partners after using them for his re-election. The most likely reason is jealousy, that the DA controls the Western Cape Province and the ANC needed to be seen to be in charge of the other mega provinces.
The other reason is fear of being monitored closely on the finances, as Lebogang Maile was brought back to finance and economic development, to defend foul activities.
Finally, there are so many hungry activists and crooks around him, that they might have defied the President.
Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal provincial governments are on shaky ground and lack the same lustre at national level. Unfortunately, such governments will not last five years.
NB: Luke Montgomery Zunga is a socio-economic and political commentator.
– CAJ News