CAPE TOWN - The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has announced it will immediately withdraw from coalitions in Knysna and Oudtshoorn municipalities in the Western Cape.
The party said it will sit in the opposition benches if their members are not being prioritised for employment.
Outside of the province, the party said Nelson Mandela Bay, and Kou-Kamma were also among the municipalities the party will immediately withdraw their coalition agreement from.
The party’s president, Gayton McKenzie, said they have recently met with various political leaders where they were clear that they will only reconsider their decision when they see a change in their behaviour.
He said they will withdraw immediately from the coalition in Knysna with the DA, citing they will not “allow themselves to be taken for a ride”.
He said the party will withdraw immediately from the coalition in Oudtshoorn with the ANC.
“We met with different political leaders after our decision to pull out. We were very clear that we shall only reconsider when we see change in behaviour from our power sharing partners.
We are not desperate to be in councils where our value is not being appreciated.
We will no longer be made promises of jobs and opportunities, we have lost trust; hire our people and we will be back,“ he said.
DA Constituency Head in Knysna, Dion George said they were working on resolving issues with the party.
“We had a very constructive meeting with the PA. We are in discussion on the way forward and all indications are positive,” he said.
Oudtshoorn deputy mayor Vlancio Donson said: “We respect the decision of PA.”
Director at School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University, Professor Zwelinzima Ndevu said: “We know that the coalition governments were mostly not formed on principle matters, it was how political parties position themselves.
“PA has been at the forefront of ensuring that they put their people in strategic positions to advance their agenda. I’m therefore not surprised that when that is not happening they will withdraw from the government and sit in opposition benches. The tragedy with the situation is that service delivery is compromised and the focus is on the politicians rather than the public. Instability will be the order of the day.”
The ANC did not respond to questions by deadline.
Cape Times