Cape Town - The DA kept their cards close to their chests on Tuesday, as rumours surfaced that it was abandoning its take-over bid of the embattled Oudtshoorn municipality, instead opting to let it be placed under administration.
Party insiders claimed the DA’s federal executive was “not warming up” to the idea of taking over control of the municipality nor the team proposed to lead it.
By late on Tuesday, DA bigwigs were still locked in meetings over Oudtshoorn, with informed sources revealing that the DA caucus in the Klein Karoo town were fuming over their leadership’s indecisiveness.
The DA/Cope alliance was expected to take control of the council last Friday, but the DA’s federal executive (Fedex) intervened at the eleventh hour, effectively preventing local structures from taking back control of the local government authority.
Since then the DA’s Fedex have shied away from answering questions about Oudtshoorn, with DA provincial chairman, Anton Bredell, being asked to handle media enquiries.
Bredell insisted that there was no dispute or disagreement between the Fedex, the Western Cape leadership or the DA caucus in Oudtshoorn.
However, members who have been lobbying for action in the town, claimed that while province was busy trying to solve Oudtshoorn, others wanted it to be placed under administration.
DA Fedex chairman, James Selfe, did not respond to media inquiries.
Asked if the DA leadership in the Western Cape was getting cold feet, the DA’s Patricia de Lille also kept mum.
De Lille did, however, stress that the party could not comment on the possibility of placing the municipality under administration, adding that it is entirely a governmental decision.
And she continued to blame the ANC for Oudtshoorn’s woes saying the party had been clinging to power there.
“They are deliberately delaying the recovery of Oudtshoorn. The DA’s focus is entirely on restoring democracy in Oudtshoorn and recovering the town’s finances and service delivery,” she said.
De Lille indicated that the next council meeting in Oudtshoorn was scheduled for Friday, adding that she would be in Oudtshoorn by Thursday.
“I will be in Oudtshoorn on Thursday to communicate to our DA councillors the decisions that were taken during the meeting of the DA’s federal executive on Friday and to ensure that all DA councillors know and understand the recovery plan and to discuss the agenda for Friday’s meeting,” De Lille said.
“We are using the time that we have to finalise a strong recovery plan to restore services and to save the municipality’s finances,” she added.
Meanwhile, residents said they were fed-up waiting for parties. “People have been waiting for an intervention, but political parties do not have the will to get the job done,” one resident said.
Cape Argus