Oudtshoorn Municipality mayor Chris Macpherson was ousted through a motion of no confidence.
The FF Plus has blamed the DA for their coalition being in a shambles as Oudtshoorn Municipality mayor Chris Macpherson was ousted through a motion of no confidence.
DA mayor Macpherson was removed from office in Oudtshoorn during a special council meeting.
The motion was tabled by the ANC, supported by the FF+ and the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (ICOSA) who both worked with the DA.
This effectively terminated the coalition which also included the Suid-Kaap Saamstaan party.
The municipality assured residents of Greater Oudtshoorn that all administrative duties will continue as normal.
“A council meeting will be called within the next seven days for the election of a new executive mayor. During a special council meeting on July 25 a motion of no confidence was passed against the mayor Chris Macpherson,” it said.
DA regional chairperson Venolea Fortuin said it will review its coalition partner strategy in the region following the “betrayal”.
“The FF+ has always presented itself as a ‘reliable coalition partner’ for the DA. However, we have more and more examples to demonstrate the contrary.
It has just spent an entire election campaign looking for votes by promising to go into a coalition with the DA. It did a spectacular flip-flop to remove DA mayor Macpherson from office.
The FF+ joined the PA, GOOD and the Oudtshoorn Community Initiative in voting against mayor Macpherson. In doing this, they did not only topple the government, but they also betrayed the voters of Oudtshoorn, who will now likely end up with an ANC-led government. As such the DA will review its relationship with parties in the region that are regarded as unreliable coalition partners. We look forward to the 2026 election,” said Fortuin.
FF+ MP Corne Mulder blamed the DA’s “unwavering resolution to protect Macpherson at all costs” for the coalition that collapsed.
He said there were serious allegations of abuse of power and misconduct which was of grave concern to other coalition partners.
“The coalition partners did everything in their power to avoid a split. In a caucus meeting that preceded the council meeting, the DA unilaterally broke the coalition agreement and left the meeting.
“The FF Plus is willing and able to take the lead in Oudtshoorn, and will do everything in its power to protect the remaining coalitions in the Western Cape. The party can, however, not stand idly by while the DA breaks a coalition agreement by putting its own interests before those of Oudtshoorn and its people,” said Mulder.
Cape Times
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