Immediately after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the new collective government cabinet, the EFF condemned it, adamantly stating that the ANC is "in bed with the racist DA."
The red berets strongly opposed Ramaphosa for enlarging the cabinet size, calling it “bloated” to accommodate the DA-ANC partnership, which they argue will burden taxpayers.
“The EFF has noted the announcement by Cyril Ramaphosa of what is essentially an ANC-DA cabinet, confirming our longstanding view that the ‘Government of National Unity’ was nothing but a smokescreen for the ANC to secure a predetermined grand coalition with the racist DA.
“It is even more concerning that this cabinet has been increased and bloated, signalling more pressure on taxpayers to allow for the accommodation of racists and their policies in high positions of power,” said EFF national spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys.
As the DA was given 12 cabinet offices, including Basic Education and Public Works and Infrastructure, which are significant state offices, Mathys criticised the ANC for losing its identity as a liberation movement, asserting that the DA only serves the white minority.
“The announcement by Ramaphosa confirms that the ANC has abandoned its historical role as a liberation movement in Africa, and has solidified its role as an instrument of white supremacy, and domestic and global capital on the continent.
“At a policy level, it is inexcusable to give racists control and influence in sectors such as Agriculture, Trade, Finance, Education, Energy, and Infrastructural Development, when they have exhibited that where they govern, they prioritise the interests of the white minority,” said Mathys.
Ten parties are part of the GNU, but Mathys stated the EFF will not form part of a grand-coalition-led government, where its founding members—ANC, DA, and IFP—are funded by the Oppenheimers, indicating a captured political arena. Instead, they will officiate as an opposition, holding officials accountable, particularly in ANC-DA ministerial offices.
However, during the weekend, the EFF changed its stance, saying it was willing to join the broad coalition, but only if the ANC divorced the DA and VF Plus.
“The EFF is therefore vindicated in its decision to not form part of the self-juniorisation these political parties have subjected themselves to, where a political party of the white capitalist establishment presides over their descent into insignificance. The EFF long cautioned that the massive investment by the Oppenheimer families in organisations such as the DA and IFP was to capture South Africa’s democratic project and subvert the marginal gains made since 1994,” said Mathys.
IOL Politics