Gauteng Premier David Makhura has survived an attempt by the Democratic Alliance – aided by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Freedom Front (FF) Plus – to unseat him.

African National Congress (ANC) chief whip in the legislature, Mzi Khumalo, called the DA's motion of no confidence against Makhura "ill-conceived" after the sole Inkatha Freedom Party MPL, Bonginkosi Dhlamini, teamed up with the ANC to defeat the motion - with 37 votes to a combined vote of 33 by the DA, FF Plus and EFF.

Khumalo said the ANC caucus voted "in unison", despite calls from detractors within the ANC and the ANC Youth League in the province that Makhura should go.

FF Plus MPL Anton Alberts said in a statement: "The fact that only four votes prevented the motion from being successful serves as proof of the ANC's waning popularity. In fact, the ANC retained the province with a single seat after the 2019 elections and, in 2024, its support will probably drop below the 50% threshold."

DA provincial leader Solly Msimanga said Makhura was unfit to govern because, under his watch, among others, "up to R125-million was wasted on corrupt tenders for personal protective equipment" and "R431-million was spent on decontaminating schools between June and August last year".

He also said half a billion rand was spent on extra beds and Covid-19 facilities at the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital on the far West Rand, but these were still incomplete.

"It is clear the ANC-led government in Gauteng remains committed to cadre deployment and will do anything in their power to ensure that Premier Makhura remains in office, despite his government failing to exercise proper fiscal control and governance," he said.

Makhura previously faced motions of no confidence by the opposition following the Life Esidemeni tragedy.

Khumalo, however, accused the opposition of using these motions of no confidence in an attempt at "power grabbing", rather than a "legislative tool".

He said: "The DA, in their quest to have some relevance, has once again tried to use the Covid-19 pandemic for political point scoring. We have been unequivocal in our call that no effort should be spared to investigate, prosecute and sentence those who have committed crimes against the people."