The political snubbing and sniping over control of the city continued on Thursday night with Independent Democrats (ID) leader Patricia de Lille categorically refusing to accept a seat on the executive that the Democratic Alliance (DA) says will be reserved for the party indefinitely.
"We are not even considering" taking up this offer said De Lille, in what was the third rejection of the DA in as many days.
On Wednesday, the ID spurned two offers that would have given the party two seats on the mayoral executive committee (mayco).
The ID instead responded with a demand for a change in government from the mayoral executive to the executive committee system, a move that would exclude the smaller parties from the leadership fray.
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| 'We sit here without a party that belongs with us' |
Despite this, executive mayor Helen Zille said on Thursday at the announcement of the new multiforum government, or mayoral executive committee, that "the door was still open to the ID".
She said the ID's decision to accept an amended offer of two mayco seats, three sub-councils and four bargaining council positions, was "vetoed at the last minute" by De Lille.
"And now we sit here without a party that belongs with us, but their leader does not want to (join)."
But this was strongly denied by the ID's city leader Simon Grindrod, who said: "The city caucus of the ID on Thursday night unanimously rejected the offer of the DA to join its coalition."
The DA and ID remain at loggerheads about the city's system of governance, with Zille saying it would be "massively destabilising" for the ID to push for an executive committee system.
| 'Both would prefer to be in power without each other' |
"The ID are the spoilers in this matter. If she wants to destroy her party entirely, she will destabilise the government next week."
Both the ID and the ANC said the DA has reneged on its own election manifesto which endorses the committee system.
But Zille said the executive system was the only way of ensuring an opposition to the ANC in the only metro in the country where the party did not win an outright majority.
Both parties have vacillated in their support of the system.
The ID has, with the backing of the DA, elected executive mayors in Eden (George), Oudtshoorn and Matzikama (Vredendal).
"De Lille did not mind the mayco when she supported the ANC or when it gave her mayoral seats in the rural municipalities," said Zille.
De Lille said earlier that Cape Town "was different" and should be run by an executive committee. Zille, who would relinquish considerable power in the committee system, said: "I am not worried about my powers being curtailed.
"But if the system changes there will only be three parties in government - the ANC, the DA and the ID - and the ANC will be back in power in a city where 62 percent voted for an opposition."
Meanwhile, Local Government and Housing MEC Richard Dyantyi said on Thursday there was no reason to change the executive mayoral system to an executive committee system.
"In this province, we (already) have a system in place and that is the executive mayoral system. That is what has been determined."
In another development, former ACDP mayoral candidate Pauline Cupido has again changed her mind about taking over the position of deputy mayor from Andrew Arnolds.
Cupido said it could take as long as 21 days for her to be reinstated as an electable councillor.
With votes on the budget and system of government imminent, Cupido said stability was more important at this stage.
Idasa political researcher Jonathan Faull said it was unlikely that either the ANC or the ID would push for a vote of no confidence next week.
"Both would prefer to be in power without each other, but the ANC may be willing to take what it can get."
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on March 24, 2006
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