LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Western Cape coalitions hold steady despite council rupture in City of Joburg
The Western Cape shows no sign of a potential rupture of coalitions as was seen in recent days in the City of Joburg. Political parties told Daily Maverick their coalitions relied on respect, as well as municipal needs.
Democratic Alliance (DA) Western Cape interim leader Tertuis Simmers told Daily Maverick that the strength of any coalition government in the province “is dependent on the effective and respectful working relationship between all councillors that form the coalition partners”.
This is in contrast to the chaotic scenes played out in the City of Johannesburg council where the DA-led multiparty coalition collapsed after the removal of DA Speaker Vasco Da Gama and mayor Mpho Phalatse.
Simmers confirmed that all coalitions and their agreements were finalised by the Federal Council chair, Helen Zille.
“Where we do have DA-led coalition-governed municipalities in the Western Cape, we aspire to maintain a respectful working relationship with our coalition partners to enhance service delivery for all citizens,” said Simmers when asked about a potential spillover of the coalition chaos from the big metro into smaller municipalities, particularly in the Western Cape, the only province governed by the DA.
Simmers continued: “The strength of any coalition government in the Western Cape is dependent on the effective and respectful working relationship between all councillors that form the coalition partners, with a full understanding that they all govern in the interest of the residents.”
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Brett Herron, the Good party secretary-general, said the coalition between the DA and Good in the Witzenberg municipality was “fairly stable”. Good is also in a multiparty coalition with the DA in Nelson Mandela Bay, and it is in a coalition with the African National Congress and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) in the Theewaterskloof municipality.
Herron described what happened in Johannesburg as showing that South Africa was still in a “kindergarten” phase of coalitions, where there was a clamouring for positions instead of a focus on programmes centred on service delivery.
He told Daily Maverick that Good initially did not want to enter into coalitions — only where the party had to choose a side — in order to form a government or stabilise a municipality.
Initially, Good formed a multiparty government with the ANC in Nelson Mandela Bay, but Herron said it withdrew from that coalition because of infighting in the ANC and corruption allegations against the City manager, Noxolo Nqwazi.
“We weren’t going to be part of that,” said Herron as the party then moved to form a new coalition with the DA in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Echoing Simmers’ sentiment about respect, Herron said, “respect is where you start” as a political party and that respect could move to either trust or mistrust. Coalitions were about trust, respect and parties demonstrating maturity, added Herron.
However, Herron said a problem was that coalitions became “ANC-led” or “DA-led” coalitions instead of multiparty coalition governments, which caused bickering and disputes in metros.
Democratic Alliance Western Cape interim leader Tertuis Simmers. (Photo: Supplied)
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Broken coalitions
While no big coalitions have recently broken in the Western Cape, the DA suffered a broken coalition with the PA earlier this year, following spats between the party and PA leader Gayton McKenzie, who told party members to withdraw from coalitions in Matzikama and Knysna. As a result, PA leaders in the West Coast defected to the DA. This was followed by a narrow by-election loss to the DA by a PA-led coalition in Prince Albert in the central Karoo.
The PA was one of the parties that voted to support the appointment of Colleen Makhubele as Speaker in the City of Joburg and encouraged the ousting of Phalatse.
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Election analyst Wayne Sussman told Daily Maverick that while Johannesburg was a big metro, the new coalition there had a lot to do with the PA’s fight for the Western Cape rural areas.
“This has a lot to do with the Lamberts Bay (Cederberg) by-election coming up. This has a lot to do with the Vanrhynsdorp by-election, the Prince Albert by-election we just had,” he said.
What happened in Johannesburg could affect coalitions in the Western Cape and elsewhere in Gauteng, said Sussman, adding: “The lines are being drawn for the Western Cape battles as well.” DM
Become an Insider
The political ruptures around the local government coalitions in Gauteng had to be expected given several factors that do not exist in the Western Cape. The notion of comparing apples and oranges without nuancing the different dynamics in the two provinces fails to put issues in their proper context. The Western Cape has different demographics and different approach in politics and has always defined itself outside the general South African politics throughout history. The DA is not about to lose power in the next elections for now. In Gauteng you have an ANC facing the reality of losing the economic hub of the country and the continent. The DA expects support of EFF that it insults with regularity. No party can tolerate such rubbish and the EFF is correct to topple the DA for its arrogance as it has made it clear that it would not enter into a coalition with the DA. With the DA in control of metros it gives it an advantage ahead of the national elections in 2024. The EFF and the ANC cannot allow the DA to have such an advantage which is a natural political reaction. ActionSA has to evaluate its position of being abused by the DA and continue to support them in Tshwane and what would be the benefit in 2024. The article refers to small municipalities that have no strategic value in the Western Cape political tapestry
and future. The DA that has not won any metro in Gauteng behaves as it has won. It will remain a permanent opposition as Gana Makashule says.