Fired MMC turns Finance MEC

CLEAN AUDIT TARGET: EFF’s Nkululekho Dunga has been sworn in as the new Gauteng Finance MEC

…as EFF strong-arms ANC into cabinet compromise that saw Lesufi trade Treasury for provincial stability

The political landscape of Gauteng shifted on its axis this week as Nkululeko Dunga, the Gauteng Chairperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was sworn in as the MEC for Finance.

This dramatic ascension marks a stunning reversal of fortunes for a man who was unceremoniously fired from the same portfolio in Ekurhuleni just two months ago.

Dunga’s appointment also served as the crowning achievement of a no-nonsense approach by the Red Berets to seize control of South Africa’s economic engine. By leveraging their kingmaker status in a hung legislature, the EFF has successfully forced the ANC into a corner, where latter was forced to trade legislative compliance for executive power.

The EFF did, in February this year, resolve to end all ‘free votes’ for the ANC at the party’s strategic Plenum in Boksburg. The resolution was a direct response to the perceived disrespect in various councils - including the removal of Dunga as City of Ekhurhuleni Finance MMC (Member of Mayoral Committee).

This led to a total withdrawal of cooperation by the EFF, thus paving the way to Dunga’s appointment - thus the ANC fully acceding to the Red Berets’ demands.

The EFF Gauteng Caucus was also very blunt about their intentions to paralyse the provincial administration if their demands for power-sharing were ignored.

As resolved at the Plenum, they also issued a formal warning that they would no longer offer their support to a governing party that sidelined their party’s interests.

“The EFF in Gauteng will not be used as a voting fodder for an ANC that lacks direction and respect for its partners. We have taken a resolution to vote against the ANC at every opportunity in the legislature, including the upcoming provincial budget, until there is a clear, equitable power-sharing agreement that respects the mandate of the Red Berets,” the EFF statement read.

The threat was personified by Dunga himself, who remained defiant following his removal from the Ekurhuleni mayoral committee.

“We will vote against the ANC at every opportunity,” Dunga stated at the time.

This was not empty rhetoric, as the ANC’s minority government could not pass the R179-billion provincial budget without the EFF’s eleven seats.

Facing a constitutional crisis that would have placed the province under immense strain and possibly under national administration, Lesufi was forced to bypass his own national leadership to secure the EFF’s support.

In a candid admission, Lesufi confirmed the move was an essential trade-off.

“The budget would not have passed had we not made these changes to the provincial executive.”

In defence of the appointment of Dunga, the Lesufi argued that the EFF Gauteng leader possessed the necessary background for the role.

“We are not throwing him in a lion’s den. It is a space that he has been in ... we believe that the Economic Freedom Fighters can assist us to run that portfolio.

“We respect our partners and we don't want to invite someone into government only to undermine their role," Lesufi added.

The move grants the EFF oversight of a province accounting for 35% of the national GDP - a step the Red Berets describe as progressive.

They remain adamant that this entry into the executive is about transformation rather than prestige.

“Our participation in the provincial executive is not for the sake of titles, but to advance the political programme of the Red Berets from within. Commissioner Dunga will prioritise service delivery, economic justice, and equality, ensuring transparent and accountable management of public resources for the most marginalised,” the party stated.

Upon taking office, Dunga set a high bar for his tenure, focusing on the rigorous management of the public purse.

“The mandate is clear: we are here to ensure that the R180-billion budget of this province is managed with precision and discipline.

“My focus is to deliver a clean audit for the Gauteng Treasury and to ensure that every cent is directed toward the liberation of our people from economic exclusion,” he remarked.

However, opposition parties have reacted with sharp scepticism, with the Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus labeling the move a desperate survival tactic by Lesufi.

They pointed to Dunga’s controversial dismissal in Ekurhuleni and alleged financial mismanagement as evidence that the province’s fiscal health is now at risk.

ActionSA and Build One South Africa have also warned that they will judge this reshuffle strictly on service delivery outcomes rather than political optics.

Despite the backlash, the appointment signals the waning influence of the ANC in Gauteng as it accedes to the demands of its rivals to maintain a grip on power.