John Matisonn: EFF gets control of Gauteng’s R179.2bn budget...

Key topics:EFF’s Nkululeko Dunga appointed Gauteng MEC of Finance, key prize.Lesufi reshuffles cabinet amid minority coalition struggles and DA opposition.ANC raises concerns over Dunga’s past Ekurhuleni finance controversies..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By John Matisonn.Ever the strategists, Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters have gained one of the big prizes they’ve long sought – Gauteng leader Nkululeko Dunga, recently ousted from the Finance post in the troubled Ekuhuleni metro, has been rewarded with the much bigger responsibility of MEC of Finance for Gauteng province.This victory brings to fruition two years’ manoeuvring, at times blocking, at others supporting the provincial government where the ANC has governed without a majority since its election loss in 2024.Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s fragile minority coalition of four parties has been unable to pass a budget this year as the EFF and the Mkhonto weSizwe Party joined the Democratic Alliance in refusing to vote for it. The EFF’s refusal was based on a grievance – that Dunga was fired from the ANC-dominated Ekurhuleni metro’s coalition government – and they used it to threaten to bring down all coalition councils in Gauteng. This week Lesufi blinked..Read more:.Lesufi shakes up Gauteng: HODs axed, reshuffled amid R1.8bn underspend and damning forensic reports.The DA, whose 22 seats added to the ANC’s 28 could have given the two parties a cast iron majority after the election, DA chose to stay in the opposition benches when they concluded Lesufi was not negotiating in good faith and planned to relegate them to obscure positions without meaningful responsibility.Now there’s no mistaking who has the big prize. As the province representing a third of the nation’s economy, Dunga will oversee how it spends its budget.By bringing Dunga in, Lesfui has ignored the concerns raised by his own party leadership in Ekurhuleni. After the metro’s state of the city speech earlier this year, the city council’s ANC issued a statement questioning a tender after a forensic investigation was done.“This is a matter the ANC had sharply raised as early as 2023, during the period when the MMC for finance portfolio was under the leadership of EFF’s Nkululeko Dunga.,” said the ANC in Ekurhuleni statement.Following the State of the City address earlier this year, the ANC criticised Dunga’s leadership when he was in charge of the City of Ekurhuleni’s finances.“The ANC unequivocally welcomes the forensic investigation into the chemical toilet tender, as part of a decisive and uncompromising effort to root out corruption, maladministration, and any abuse of public resources,” the statement said. “We further note that the security tender, which is also under serious scrutiny, has been referred to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) for firm and appropriate action following the outcomes of a forensic investigation.”The Citizen has quoted unnamed ANC sources in the city who expressed surprise at his new appointment despite their concerns. Asked about this, Lesufi dismissed criticisms by saying the Ekuhuleni fallout was over personal differences on the council. “If the executive mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni felt this thing can’t be managed, I am of the view that I can manage it,” he told Newzroom Afrika.Lesufi used the occasion to make several other cabinet changes which were not explained. While the IFP slot remains at the tiny e-Government department, Rise Mzansi’s Vuyiswa Ramokgopa had economic development added to his position in charge of agriculture and rural development.Two ANC MECs at Health and Wellness and Social Development swapped positions.The new line-up is as follows:1. e-Government: Mr. Bonginkosi Dlamini (IFP) 2. Education and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation: Mr. Lebogang Maile (ANC) 3. Transport, Roads and Logistics: Ms Kedibone Diale-Tlabela (ANC) 4. Economic Development and Agriculture and Rural Development: Ms. Vuyiswa Ramokgopa (Rise Mzansi) 5. Finance: Mr. Nkululeko Dunga (EFF) 6. Health and Wellness: Ms. Faith Mazibuko (ANC) 7. Human Settlements: Ms. Tasneem Motara (ANC) 8. Environment: Mr. Ewan Botha (Patriotic Alliance) 9. Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs: Mr. Jacob Mamabolo (ANC) 10. Department of Social Development: Ms Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko

John Matisonn: EFF gets control of Gauteng’s R179.2bn budget...

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