Jonathan Paoli
The DA and the IFP signed a pact on Tuesday seeking to bring stability to several hung municipalities in KwaZulu Natal where both parties hold seats.
The pact has been six months in the making and follows on from the successful cooperation in by-elections to win wards from the ANC.
This pact will ensure that where each party holds seats in a hung municipality, they will work together to improve service delivery and better the lives of residents.
“Now is the time to deliver to the people of KwaZulu-Natal. We dare not fail them.” said Francois Rodgers, the DA KZN Provincial Leader.
The two parties have included 15 priorities to change local government in KZN.
The DA has said that both parties share a strong commitment to Constitutionalism, the rule of law and service delivery improvement. In addition they held that both parties are also parties of government, governerning in various local municipalities across the country and are only two of three parties that have governed a province.
Key objectives of the agreement include: ensuring that communities have access to basic service delivery; relieving residents and businesses from crippling load shedding by accessing affordable and sustainable electricity; bringing in investment and jobs to the local economy and making it easier for businesses to trade; supporting devolution of power within the constitutional and legislative framework; eliminating corruption and patronage networks and; promoting multilingualism and enhancing our heritage landscape.
The DA and the IFP in the interest of transparency have decided to publish these agreements so that the parties and their conduct can be held accountable, in contrast “from the shady ANC/EFF coalition agreement that is built purely on corruption and access to state resources.”
The DA went on to suggest that their approach is guided by the approach of IFP Founder and President Emeritus, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi who has sought to bring parties together from across the political, religious and racial divide for over 40 years and the current work that DA Leader, John Steenhuisen has been doing to bring various opposition parties together to unseat the ANC in next years election.
This could be seen as part of their broader “Moonshot” Pact agreements that the DA have been busy cementing with other parties.
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