DA federal chairperson Helen Zille said the DA will not be able to participate in any such negotiations. Picture: Tracey Adams
An immediate moratorium on all administrative appointments, including those currently in process, will allow newly appointed Oudtshoorn mayor Johan Allers to review the organisational structure, the municipality said.
Allers, representing the FF Plus, was elected mayor after working with other political parties to oust the DA’s Chris Macpherson.
Allers, his deputy Mziwoxolo Tyatya and speaker Suzanne Jansen were elected during a special council meeting on August 1.
“The new council has decided to impose an immediate moratorium on all administrative appointments, including those currently in process.
“This pause will allow the newly appointed executive mayor, Allers, to review the organisational structure,” said the municipality.
The local government change comes after a motion was tabled by the ANC, supported by the FF Plus 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.
Macpherson was ousted on July 25 through a motion of no confidence.
FF Plus MP and provincial leader Corné Mulder said Allers was elected with 14 votes to 9 after opposition parties took the step to commit themselves to working together in a new local unity government “much like the national government”.
“As on national level, there is not a single party in Oudtshoorn with enough support to govern on its own.
This development follows the pleas of former coalition partners of the DA in Oudtshoorn to replace Mr Macpherson amid numerous complaints and grievances.
“The DA refused to comply with the requests and decided to rather break its coalition agreement with the FF Plus and other parties than appoint another candidate in the mayoral position. The coalition partners did everything in their power and held several talks with the DA in an attempt to prevent a split. It is regrettable that the DA’s unyielding attitude resulted in this,” said Mulder.
Mulder said disagreements were expected in the new coalition. He urged governing partners to focus on service delivery and priorities for Oudtshoorn, claiming there were “some” who were looking forward to them failing.
He called on the DA to restore the coalitions that it terminated in George and the Garden Route District Municipality for the sake of good governance and service delivery.
“Concerning Oudtshoorn, the FF Plus hopes that the DA will reconsider and not merely fulfil an opposition role, but contribute meaningfully to a Government of Local Unity to serve their voters’ interests.
“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,” said Mulder.
In a letter seen by the “Cape Times”, DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille expressed disappointment in the FF Plus, stating that their decision to vote with the ANC and opposition councillors to topple the coalition government was a bad faith move and completely invalidated the progress they made following their Coalition Oversight Group (COG) meeting on July 22.
“The DA regards the undertaking made by the local VF Plus and Icosa councillors during a joint caucus meeting of July 25 to support a motion of no confidence against the DA mayor as a declaration to end the coalition.
“The VF Plus’s actions in Oudtshoorn do not bode well for coalition building in the Western Cape and the rest of South Africa, and undermine the progress made thus far to give them credibility in the eyes of the public.
“After all, it was the VF Plus who unilaterally terminated the coalition agreement. We further note that you have been conspiring with other parties to have your own candidate elected as mayor.
“In this context, it is very telling that the ANC withdrew the motion of no-confidence in the FF Plus speaker.
This action cannot be reconciled with the call to form a coalition of local unity.
Until such time as trust and bona fide co-operation can be re-established, the DA will not be able to participate in any such negotiations,” said Zille.
Cape Times