The nation will be glued to the screens for the inauguration of elect-President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, and many are anticipating the seventh administration’s cabinet as this time, it comprises the ANC, DA and IFP allegiance.
Since Ramaphosa announced the new administration will be progressing into a Government of National Unity (GNU), executive members of the ANC maintained invites to willing parties that want to join the GNU.
However, Chairperson of the DA’s Federal Council Helen Zille told the SABC during an interview on Tuesday that the ANC does not have the veto power to propose invitations from other parties.
Zille’s statement follows ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula claiming the ANC’s doors remain open to parties that want to partake in the unity government.
Although the ANC scooped the majority of national votes, it failed to absorb the outright vote.
Just days ago, the DA, ANC and IFP confirmed they signed a GNU binding document at the Cape Town International Convention Centre amid the first sitting of Parliament.
To challenge Mbalula’s haphazard notion, just ahead of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) publicly demanding the home affairs and police ministerial offices, Zille cited Clause 24 of the GNU statement of intent that only founding members of the GNU hold the veto power to allow the joining of outside parties.
Therefore, she emphasised that the ANC does not have the prerogative to impulsively invite outside parties within the GNU, in particular the PA.
“The ANC cannot bring in people they feel like bringing in. It's not the ANC that gets to invite everybody. There are three founding members of the GNU, we were consulted about the PAC but not the PA. The PAC, GOOD Party and UDM were raised in negotiations. They did not consult with us. The ANC must realise they don't take all the decisions anymore, they did not win the election,” said Zille.
As Ramaphosa will swiftly announce his new cabinet, the former Western Cape premier affirmed under a GNU, the president can only delegate his Cabinet after consultations with founding GNU members.
Zille cited Clause 16 of the alliance government document, despite the President’s constitutional decision power in appointing his national council.
According to speculations, the DA is hunting for the key ministerial offices being Education, the Police Department and the Minister in Presidency.
Additionally, Zille affirmed the DA is entitled to a 30% chunk of the cabinet, whereas the ANC accounts for 60% of ministerial offices despite cabinet size.
“The president must consult us. We are entitled to 30% of the seats in the cabinet and ANC is entitled to 60%. We want to reduce the size of the cabinet because the current cabinet is too big,” she said.
The Star