Government of national unity (GNU) partner Gayton McKenzie, of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), believes the DA pushed the ANC “too far” in the cabinet power-sharing negotiations, which resulted in President Cyril Ramaphosa rejecting some of the blue party’s demands.
Ramaphosa wrote a letter to DA leader John Steenhuisen on June 25 in which he described the DA’s demands as “legally incompetent” with regard to their interest in director-general posts for departments. DA federal chairperson Helen Zille wanted her party to have at least 12 ministerial positions, including Steenhuisen taking Paul Mashatile’s deputy president position.
The president reminded the party the ANC was in negotiations with other parties to join the GNU.
McKenzie said: “The ANC has been pushed too far by the DA. The letter from President Ramaphosa is direct and that of a man who wants a solution [despite] people hell-bent on humiliating the ANC and wanting to insert themselves as the new leaders of South Africa and the GNU. His letter is the most polite f**k you ever.”
He raised concerns that negotiations between the two biggest parties in the GNU, the ANC and DA, were causing a cabinet vacuum a month after the elections.
“The negotiations have been stalling because the two biggest parties in the GNU are unable to find each other on how many ministerial positions should be allocated to the DA by the ANC.
“It’s has been an up and down with a lot of letters leaked. I do think with the latest letter from the president that this circus is leaving town, and we are close to a solution or agreement in the GNU.”
McKenzie said he hoped the talks would conclude on Friday, paving the way for a cabinet announcement to be made soon.
TimesLIVE
‘The DA pushed the ANC too far’: Gayton McKenzie on Ramaphosa shooting down cabinet demands
Image: Eugene Coetzee/The Herald
Government of national unity (GNU) partner Gayton McKenzie, of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), believes the DA pushed the ANC “too far” in the cabinet power-sharing negotiations, which resulted in President Cyril Ramaphosa rejecting some of the blue party’s demands.
Ramaphosa wrote a letter to DA leader John Steenhuisen on June 25 in which he described the DA’s demands as “legally incompetent” with regard to their interest in director-general posts for departments. DA federal chairperson Helen Zille wanted her party to have at least 12 ministerial positions, including Steenhuisen taking Paul Mashatile’s deputy president position.
The president reminded the party the ANC was in negotiations with other parties to join the GNU.
McKenzie said: “The ANC has been pushed too far by the DA. The letter from President Ramaphosa is direct and that of a man who wants a solution [despite] people hell-bent on humiliating the ANC and wanting to insert themselves as the new leaders of South Africa and the GNU. His letter is the most polite f**k you ever.”
He raised concerns that negotiations between the two biggest parties in the GNU, the ANC and DA, were causing a cabinet vacuum a month after the elections.
“The negotiations have been stalling because the two biggest parties in the GNU are unable to find each other on how many ministerial positions should be allocated to the DA by the ANC.
“It’s has been an up and down with a lot of letters leaked. I do think with the latest letter from the president that this circus is leaving town, and we are close to a solution or agreement in the GNU.”
McKenzie said he hoped the talks would conclude on Friday, paving the way for a cabinet announcement to be made soon.
TimesLIVE
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