Malema claims ANC split as Mbalula pushes DA deal in Gauteng

Malema claims ANC split as Mbalula pushes DA deal in Gauteng

Gauteng’s already fragile political balance is once again under the spotlight, with EFF leader Julius Malema accusing senior ANC figures of pulling in opposite directions over who should govern the province.

According to Malema, the ANC is deeply divided on whether the Democratic Alliance (DA) should be brought into the Gauteng provincial government. At the centre of the alleged power struggle are ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, two leaders with very different ideas about the province’s future.

A coalition that never quite landed

Malema says the DA was initially expected to join the ANC in governing Gauteng after the 2024 general elections, which saw the ruling party drop to just 34% of the vote in the province. Lesufi ultimately became premier with the DA’s backing, but relations soured when talks turned to power-sharing.

The sticking point, according to Malema, was the number of MEC positions the DA demanded and Lesufi’s refusal to hand over key posts.

That refusal, Malema claims, triggered behind-the-scenes tensions within the ANC itself.

“Let it collapse,” Malema alleges

In a sharp attack, Malema alleged that Mbalula would prefer to see the Gauteng government fail altogether if it means forcing the DA into the fold.

“Mbalula does not care. He wants the Gauteng government to collapse so he can say, ‘I told you to bring the DA,’” Malema claimed.

He went further, suggesting that internal disruptions within the ANC were deliberate, aimed at proving that Lesufi’s leadership could not survive without DA participation.

Lesufi defended, party structures questioned

Malema was unusually complimentary about Lesufi, saying the premier’s leadership did not warrant the ANC’s decision to introduce a Provincial Task Team (PTT) in Gauteng.

In Malema’s view, the provincial machinery was functioning well before national intervention, and the PTT was less about fixing problems and more about shifting political leverage.

On social media, reactions have been mixed. Some users praised Lesufi for standing his ground against DA demands, while others accused Malema of stirring instability to strengthen the EFF’s bargaining power.

EFF draws a line on the budget

What gives Malema’s remarks real weight is the EFF’s position in the Gauteng legislature. With the ANC running a minority government, it needs opposition support to pass budgets and reports.

Malema has now made it clear: the EFF will not support the provincial budget.

“You are not getting our votes not now, not for a long time,” he said.

Feeling sidelined in coalition politics

Malema also complained that the EFF has gained little from supporting the ANC in Gauteng, despite consistently voting with the ruling party “for the people”.

The party holds no MEC posts and, according to Malema, has been marginalised in municipal coalitions particularly in Johannesburg, where the EFF allegedly received the weakest portfolios.

“We are voting for budgets that benefit other parties. How do we justify that politically?” he asked.

While rumours persist that the EFF benefits indirectly from backing the ANC, no evidence has been presented to support those claims.

A province stuck in political limbo

For ordinary Gauteng residents, the ongoing coalition drama feels uncomfortably familiar. Power struggles, fragile alliances and budget brinkmanship have become the new normal since the ANC lost its outright majority.

Whether Malema’s warnings are strategic pressure or a genuine sign of a looming collapse, one thing is clear: Gauteng’s government remains hostage to political egos and the province’s stability hangs in the balance.

{Source: The Citizen}

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