ANC seeks to appease NFP president Ivan Barnes amid GPU challenges

In an attempt to save the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has promised to find “something good” for NFP president Ivan Barnes.

The two parties met on Saturday where the ANC listened to the NFP’s concerns which led to the party’s withdrawal from the GPU.  Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the senior party members who was part of the meeting said the meeting centered around on what opportunites existed for Barnes in political office.

After its recent withdrawal from the GPU, all the GPU parties reached out to the NFP leadership and asked  for separate meetings. The NFP had previously cited the backtracking of the GPU partners from an earlier agreement - for it to run one municipality in KZN and a cabinet position in the Government of National Unity.

The source said that the NFP raised the issue that, as the president of the kingmaker party, Barnes was meant to be rewarded politically, but this had not taken place.

The source also revealed that the option of Barnes being appointed as a Deputy Minister by President Cyril Ramaphosa was discussed, however it was immediately taken off the table after the realisation that there are no vacancies because the president has already exhausted his constitutional prerogative to appoint people from outside Parliament.

The constitution allows the president to appoint two individuals from outside parliament to his cabinet and has already appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia as acting Police Minister and former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube as Higher Education Deputy Minister.

“The ANC asked to be given time to go and look at something good that will be offered to the NFP president so there will be a follow up meeting,” said the source.

ANC provincial spokesperson Fanle Sibisi refused to confirm whether the meeting took place, saying he would only know when the party’s provincial working committee meets on Monday.

NFP acting Secretary-General Sunset Xaba was not available for comment.

The NFP delegation also reportedly met the Umkhonto weSizwe Party later on Saturday, however, the MKP's provincial deputy secretary Shirley Willemse refused to divulge the discussions and the outcome saying the meeting involved senior national leadership of the party.

The NFP is also expected to meet with the other GPU partners, the IFP and the DA. 

willem.phungula@inl.co.za