The EFF Gauteng finance MEC is now Nkululeko Dunga, sworn in this week after Premier Panyaza Lesufi reshuffled his cabinet on Wednesday 1 April 2026 and handed the province’s R179.2 billion budget to the Economic Freedom Fighters in a bid to save the Gauteng coalition. The move makes the EFF the fifth party in the Government of Provincial Unity, alongside the ANC, Inkatha Freedom Party, Patriotic Alliance and Rise Mzansi.
The appointment follows weeks of deadlock over the Gauteng adjustment budget, which stalled for more than a week as coalition partners failed to agree on spending priorities.
Who is the new EFF Gauteng finance MEC
Dunga is the EFF’s Gauteng provincial leader and now oversees the single largest provincial treasury in the country.
His portfolio includes the provincial procurement pipeline, infrastructure spend, and the fiscal relationship with the 11 metropolitan and district municipalities that make up Gauteng.
What the handover means for Lesufi’s coalition
Lesufi said the reshuffle was aimed at strengthening governance in the 80-seat legislature and avoiding further budget disputes.
Talks are continuing with the MK Party to further expand the coalition, which would give Lesufi a larger working majority but would also deepen the ideological spread inside the executive.
Why R179.2 billion matters to Gauteng residents
The Gauteng budget covers health, education, roads, housing and community safety for roughly 16 million residents. Any shift in spending priorities under an EFF-led treasury will show up first in the adjusted estimates tabled in the coming weeks.
Expect renewed focus on e-tolls, Gauteng provincial hospitals, township enterprise support and the province’s infrastructure backlog.
EFF response to the appointment
EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Tambo called Dunga’s appointment a progressive step towards strengthening governance in the province and confirmed the party’s formal participation in the GPU.
ANC insiders quoted by Daily Maverick framed the move as a defensive play by Lesufi to keep his premiership intact.
What happens next
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature is expected to table the revised adjustment budget in the coming sitting.
Swisher Post has submitted a request for comment to the Office of the Premier and will update this report as the budget vote proceeds.
