IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa chats to IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa during a press briefing at the party’s head office in Durban on Friday. Picture: Khaya Ngwenya/ Independent Media
Durban — Irritation and frustration is at boiling point as South Africans wait for President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce his Cabinet.
Ramaphosa, according to insiders, on Friday met the DA’s John Steenhuisen to iron out the number of Cabinet positions that the DA has asked for and which positions those should be.
The IFP, one of the earliest signatories to the Government of National Unity (GNU) agreement, on Friday voiced frustration at the delay in announcing the Cabinet.
IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa said South Africa, Africa and the international community had anxiously awaited Ramaphosa’s announcement of the Cabinet in the nine days since his inauguration as president.
“It was expected, of course, that the president’s announcement would not be made as swiftly as usual, for this Cabinet is not a Cabinet under majority rule, but must reflect a Government of National Unity.”
He said the IFP had been part of the GNU discussions from the start.
“From the outset, the IFP has maintained that those discussions should be respected and given space to pave the way forward.
“So when alarmist reports began to emerge of a potential stalemate between the ANC and the DA, the IFP was not immediately concerned. There was, as far as we could see, no crisis. We understood that there will be necessary teething problems in the formation of a Government of National Unity.
“Now, however, like all South Africans, the IFP is growing concerned,” Hlabisa added.
“Our concern is for a country that is eager to move forward. The work of governance must begin. We cannot remain in a holding pattern, when there is so much to be done.”
“It is essential that the president, as the Constitution allows him, be able to reach the stage of announcing the new Cabinet. The IFP is thus calling on the ANC, the DA and any other party to conclude the outstanding issues between them without further delay.
“We accept the president’s ultimate prerogative to make his appointments as he sees fit. I have full confidence that the leader of the ANC is deliberating with the best interests of our country in mind. And I have no doubt that the leader of the DA is doing the same,” he said.
There appears to be growing frustration that the DA is holding the ANC to ransom, with some political analysts calling on the ANC to ditch the DA in favour of the EFF and MK Party.
According to political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe, the DA has become emboldened after being invited by the ANC to form the GNU, and the ANC will play second fiddle if the envisaged GNU is formed.
Ramaphosa has called for the opening of Parliament to take place on July 18, as a platform for him to outline the priorities of the seventh administration.
The ANC’s national executive committee was expected to meet this weekend to discuss the deadlock with the DA.
An ANC insider said there were frantic attempts to “cool down” tempers after the DA’s list of demands, which sparked an exasperated reaction from Ramaphosa.
“At this stage, the NEC of the ANC must lead because Ramaphosa is a highly compromised individual. The ANC must be honest with us, in saying these are the things it has promised the DA. The ANC must not pretend that it has not sold its soul,” said Seepe.
He said the only other option for Ramaphosa was to coalesce with the EFF and MK.
“The GNU is not going to be workable. The DA is going to lead the GNU,” said Seepe.
In the general elections held last month, the ANC received its worst election result since the end of apartheid 30 years ago. The party garnered 40% of the vote, resulting in the loss of its absolute majority in Parliament.
Independent on Saturday