GNU talks deadlocked

Each political party accuses the other of shifting the goalposts.

- Hein Kaiser Faizel Patel

The ANC and DA are in deadlock over a key department which was taken off the table by President Cyril Ramaphosa this week - trade, industry and competition (DTI).

The DA's federal executive met last night but before joining the meeting its leader, John Steenhuisen, said the ANC's shifting of the goalposts "was not going to go down well".

Steenhuisen told The Citizen that to form a government of national unity (GNU), Ramaphosa needed to be serious about the distribution of portfolios in Cabinet.

The major sticking point was the economic cluster and without it, Steenhuisen said, his party was excluded from positively contributing in Cabinet on country-critical matters.

"In its stead, we were offered tourism," which he anticipated the party would reject.