EFF will not go into any coalitions
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leaders Julius Malema has confirmed that his party has not signed a coalition deal with either the ANC or the DA.
"We are happy to say to our people that we will not be going into a coalition with anyone, therefore the EFF will be assuming its seats as an opposition," Malema said.
This comes after two weeks of talks behind closed doors to establish the representation in important Metros like Tshwane and Johannesburg - where no party could win an outright majority following the municipal elections.
Malema, however, said they will vote with the opposition.
"To us to be neutral will be cowardice, therefore, we will be voting for the IFP in the hung municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal and everywhere else. We will be voting for a service delivery forum in Rustenburg. We will be voting for the DA in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth," he said.
He said this does not mean there's any signed agreement on any issues.
"The ANC will not get a single vote from the EFF. The DA will get our vote in Johannesburg if they meet one condition we have put to them, which is between us and them. We don't want to be anything in all those municipalities where we will be voting for the opposition."
EFF will not support ANC
Malema said they did meet with ANC national leadership, including Gwede Mantashe, shortly after the elections where the EFF set out their conditions for cooperation.
That included the nationalisation of banks and mines, free higher education and that President Jacob Zuma must be recalled.
No agreement could be reached.
"We are already imagining ourselves signing a deal with the ANC and shaking hands with Zuma. It was not going to be a very beautiful picture. It was going to be an insult to South Africans who voted against kleptocracy and corruption," Malema said.
Here is the conditions set out to the ANC...