EFF proposes coalition with ANC, without the DA or FF Plus

JOHANNESBURG - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has its eyes set on cabinet positions as it calls for the African National Congress (ANC) to cancel its agreement with nine other parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

The EFF’s latest demands come ahead of a cabinet announcement that will see the party left out of government after it refused to join the current GNU.

The red berets, who met with the ANC on Friday said they were against going to bed with the DA and the Freedom Front Plus.

The EFF said its track record in coalitions with the ANC at local government puts the party in a better position than the existing members of the GNU.

Under the current GNU, a power-sharing deal has already resulted in the ANC and the DA voting together in the election of a speaker and deputy speaker at the National Assembly.

But negotiations for cabinet positions appear to be deadlocked with the two parties standing off on certain key ministerial positions.

READ: GNU talks: DA's federal executive faces conundrum

While those tensions play out in the public, the EFF has stepped in and made a counteroffer to the ANC.

The EFF wants the party to ditch the GNU and join an exclusive agreement with it instead.

A new agreement, or statement of intent between the EFF and ANC, the inclusion of plans for redress and equality in the new agreement, and the exclusion of the DA and FF Plus in all negotiations are the EFF’s demands.

It also wants in on cabinet positions or deputy minister positions, as well as leadership posts in the National Assembly, adding that they were opposed to “sealed agreements” where ministries and departments would not be accountable to the president and premiers.

The EFF said the new agreement would also be applied at provincial and municipal levels for the sake of stability.