WITH less than two weeks to go before newly elected councillors are sworn into office, horse-trading between political parties is set to enter the fourth day after final results were declared on Friday and revealed 60 hung municipalities.
According to sources close to the coalition team negotiators, municipal coalition deals were in full swing on Monday night and slowly taking shape, particularly between the ANC, EFF and ActionSA.
With no single party recording more than 50% in the coveted metros by last night, the EFF and ActionSA emerged as possible king makers willing to form an ‘unholy alliance’ with the ANC in Joburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini.
Municipal councils are obliged to meet within 14 days after the declaration of results.
Inside Politics understands that Malema and Mashaba’s teams have tabled an offer to the ANC which would involve the EFF getting control of Tshwane, and ActionSA taking control of Joburg.
The deal would involve the EFF and ActionSA supporting the ANC to gain control of Ethekwini and Ekurhuleni, including mayoral positions.
On Monday, however, Mashaba denied that any deal was on the cards with other parties.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said during the party’s Thank You media briefing that the ANC was not going to enter into coalitions at all costs.
“Comrades, let it be clear. We are not going to enter into coalitions at all costs. The political parties going around saying they will not work with us – we are not on our knees. If we must be in opposition, we will be in opposition,” said Ramaphosa.
“Above all, they need to be leaders in good standing: honest, people with integrity and high ethical standards; no criminal record; no pending corruption charges; and they must be rooted and grounded in the community.”
He said in any coalition entered into, the ANC would insist that coalition relationships are structured and that there are clear coalition agreements in place and that the contents of agreements are known to voters
“We have received more than 10.6 million votes. We have more than 4,500 local government seats and an outright majority in 167 councils. That is not chicken feed. We are the largest party in every metro, except Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay,” said Ramaphosa.
EFF also announced the formation of a coalition negotiations team and Coalition Framework of Principles.
The EFF’s negotiating team is led by, among others, advocate Dali Mpofu, EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu and commissar Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
The party said those who have approached the EFF must be willing to embrace to the party’s seven non-negotiable pillars for economic freedom.
- Inside Politics
