Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s sudden appointment of the EFF’s Nkululeko Dunga as the new MEC for Finance in the Gauteng government is a serious mistake.
Dunga is in no way qualified to hold this position in the Gauteng government and it could severely harm the province, which is already plagued by financial mismanagement and weak economic growth.
The ANC dismissed Dunga in 2024 as Mayoral Committee Member (MMC) for Finance in the Ekurhuleni Metro Council due to poor performance and possible contraventions of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
He, among other things, failed to submit the Metro’s 2023 audited financial statements, which resulted in the credit rating agency Moody’s downgrading the Metro to junk status. His failure also constituted a breach of the MFMA.
It is ironic that while the ANC in Ekurhuleni showed Dunga the door, Lesufi saw it fit to appoint him to this critical position. The province is at risk of following in Ekurhuleni’s footsteps.
Lesufi explained that the reason behind this appointment is drawing the EFF into the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in order to create an outright majority for the GPU. He believes this will bring stability at a time when the ANC has to govern with less than 50% support.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus), however, is of the opinion that this appointment will result in even more instability for the government and the province.
The Freedom Front Plus will take two steps in response to Dunga’s appointment.
Firstly, the party will scrutinize Dunga’s work in the Oversight Committee on Finance. Secondly, the party will urgently seek to engage with the Premier regarding the appointment.
The Premier needs to realise that the province’s economic solutions do not lie in opportunistic appointments.
