The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have expressed strong opposition to the recent announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of a new cabinet, describing it as a grand coalition between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA). The EFF claims this coalition confirms their longstanding view that the so-called “government of national unity” (GNU) is a façade designed to secure a predetermined alliance with what they term the “racist DA.”

The EFF is particularly concerned about the increase and bloating of the cabinet, which they believe will place additional pressure on taxpayers to accommodate what they see as regressive policies and high positions of power for the DA. According to the EFF, this cabinet expansion signifies the ANC’s complete departure from its historical role as a liberation movement and its alignment with white supremacy and global capital interests.

In the new cabinet, the DA has been allocated six ministerial posts and six deputy ministerial roles, along with the position of Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The EFF argues that this allocation gives the DA undue influence over critical sectors such as Agriculture, Trade, Finance, Education, Energy, and Infrastructure Development, sectors in which they believe the DA prioritizes the interests of the white minority.

The EFF also criticizes other members of the GNU, describing them as “glorified spectators” who legitimize what they see as an ANC-DA pact driven by the agendas of powerful families like the Oppenheimers and the Ruperts. The party maintains that their decision to abstain from participating in this coalition was correct, as they refuse to subject themselves to what they describe as self-juniorization.

The EFF asserts that the substantial investments by the Oppenheimer families in the DA and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) were aimed at capturing South Africa’s democratic project and undermining the gains made since 1994. They argue that this subversion has distorted the political landscape through financial influence and has now reached its culmination.

In a call to action, the EFF urges South Africans, the African continent, and international allies to recognize that South Africa has become a right-wing enclave unable to commit to meaningful change or challenge global capital, imperialism, and ethnic injustice. The party reiterates its commitment to fighting capitalism, racism, corruption, and poverty in South Africa, positioning itself as the leading force for true liberation and economic freedom.

The EFF vows to remain an effective opposition, dedicated to undermining what they see as the backward policies of the ANC-DA coalition at all levels of government and in public demonstrations. The party calls for building a strong, principled, and revolutionary alternative to achieve genuine liberation.

The statement concludes with a rallying cry: “It’s no retreat, no surrender as we confront racists and their lapdogs!”