SOUTH Africa’s major political parties are racing against time to form workable coalitions, especially in the country’s biggest metros such as Joburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
Various parties are expected to meet in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Monday in order to find common ground on how the City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, and the City of Ekurhuleni will be governed.
Dr Corne Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus told the SABC News on Sunday that among the parties that will attend the meeting are the DA, ActionSA, United Democratic Movement (UDM), Patriotic Alliance, African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Congress of the People (COPE).
This comes after the EFF’s leader Julius Malema confirmed on Saturday that the red berets were currently engaged in coalition talks with the ANC and Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA, adding that the party wanted to govern the City of Tshwane.
Malema said the party has proposed that the ANC should take over the City of Ekurhuleni while ActionSA would take the City of Joburg. He told the media that the EFF’s plans involve dividing the three main municipalities in Gauteng among the EFF, ActionSA and the ANC.
“We are very simple. We give Mashaba Joburg, EFF takes Tshwane, the ANC takes Ekhurhuleni. We don’t co-govern, we all govern alone. We don’t want a coalition.”
Malema said his biggest concern is that Tshwane will fall into the hands of the Freedom Front Plus and the DA.
“The most painful one is the Tshwane one because if we miss an opportunity there, the Freedom Front and the DA are going to establish Afrikanerdom in Pretoria. They are going to move it from Tshwane back to Pretoria. The Freedom Front will say to the DA, we will give you Tshwane in exchange for J.B. Marks,” said Malema.
“So then you’ve got the dorpies of Afrikaners in Tshwane and Potchefstroom and that is the beginning of a big disaster to come.”
The ANC has been evasive about its intentions, with sources in the party saying they were prepared to occupy the opposition benches in the country’s biggest metros rather than compromise the party’s core principles.
During the local government elections, the ANC clinched the majority seats in 161 municipal councils, followed by the DA with 13 municipalities which is closely followed by the IFP which now holds majority seats in 10 municipal councils.
The ANC gained or attracted 46.04% of the overall vote, followed by the DA at (21.84%).
The IEC said that at least 66 municipal councils were hung.
Ekurhuleni – Coalition
- ANC: 38.19%
- DA: 28.72%
- EFF: 13.57%
Ethekwini – Coalition
- ANC: 42.2%
- DA: 25.6%
- EFF: 10.49%
City of Johannesburg – Coalition
- ANC: 33.60%
- DA: 26.47%
- Action SA: 16.05%
Nelson Mandela Bay – Coalition
- DA: 39.92%
- ANC: 39.43%
- EFF: 6.40%
City of Tshwane – Coalition
- ANC: 34.31%
- DA: 32.34%
- EFF: 10.62%
- Inside Politics
