The ANC in the Western Cape says it will never, “not in a million years”, form a coalition with the DA.
This comes after ANC members are alleged to have approached the DA’s mayoral candidate in Prince Albert to talk about forming a coalition government, a move which would force the Karoo Gemeenskap Party, which won the lion’s share of the votes in last week’s local elections, into the opposition benches.
ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile said the ANC would “never, ever - not in a million years” go into a coalition with the DA.
“That would take us back to pre-1994,” said Mjongile. “There are no talks between the ANC and the DA in any municipality. We are in serious discussions with the Karoo Gemeenskap Party. A decision will be taken in the next 48 hours.”
DA provincial leader Theuns Botha confirmed that the ANC had approached its mayoral candidate in Prince Albert, but that the DA had refused to entertain any discussions of a possible coalition.
“We are not in talks to co-govern with the ANC in Prince Albert. They have approached our mayoral candidate, that’s all. We hope to form a coalition with Cope, the ACDP and one other local party, who we started talks with, to co-govern approximately seven municipalities in the Western Cape.”
The Karoo Gemeenskap Party, formed less than a year ago, secured 50.55 percent of the votes to the DA’s 25.6 percent and the ANC’s 23.8 percent. It has three seats. The ANC and the DA have two each.
The municipality covers the Karoo towns of Leeu Gamka, Klaarstroom and Prince Albert and was previously shared by the DA and the ANC.
Yesterday, Goliath Lottering, the Karoo Gemeenskap Party’s mayoral candidate, said he was in talks with both the ANC and the DA about a possible coalition. A final meeting would be held with the DA today before the party made a decision.
“By tonight the people of Prince Albert will know who will co-govern with us,” he said. “The people… want the Karoo Gemeenskap Party to govern. However, if the ANC and the DA form a coalition against us, we will accept.”
Out of the province’s 30 municipalities and district councils, only 17 were won with an outright majority, of which 16 went to the DA.
Only Beaufort West went to the ANC.
Hung councils - where there was no clear majority - include Bitou (Plettenberg Bay), Oudtshoorn, Swellendam, Matzikama (Vredendal), Witzenberg, Cederberg, Theewaterskloof, Hessequa, Laingsburg, Cape Agulhas, Kannaland and Prince Albert.
In the Central Karoo District Municipality, the ANC and DA each took three of the six available seats. The ACDP holds the balance of power in Swellendam, with Cope in the same position in Bitou.
Out of 882 available seats in the province, the DA got 440 and the ANC 283. Cope got 21, followed by the ACDP with eight. All 30 municipalities and district councils, including 13 where there was no clear winner, will have to sit within 14 days from Thursday’s results announcements to elect an executive. - Cape Argus