Political parties happy with 1st year of coalition governments

Political parties happy with 1st year of coalition governments

Political parties in coalition in the City of Tshwane, City of Joburg and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality believe South Africans will have to get used to these type of arrangements.

Coalition government
Sibahle Motha

Leaders from the different political parties, including the Democratic Alliance's (DA) Mmusi Maimane, the African Christian Democratic Party's (ACDP) Kenneth Meshoe, Pieter Mulder from the Freedom Front Plus and Cope's Mosiua Lekota briefed the media on their first year of their partnership. 

 

All party leaders said they were happy with the progress made over the past twelve months, despite some challenges.

 

Maimane said extensive corruption has been uncovered in both Tshwane and Joburg.

 

"In Tshwane we inherited a deficit of over R2 billion, but have managed to plug that deficit

 

"One of those is the selling of the mayor's house, because we felt the city had taken R12 million invested in the refurbishment of that house and we realised it was a bottomless pit of investment and we have sold it for R5 million."

 

Maimane said the anti-corruption unit in Johannesburg, headed by former Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibiya, uncovered corruption to the tune of R2 billion. 

 

The biggest headache this year was the axing of Nelson Mandela Bay deputy mayor, the United Democratic Movement's (UDM) Mongameli Bobani. 


The UDM was not present at the press conference.


In the United Democratic Movement's (UDM) absence, Bobani came under fire from party leaders. Lekota said it is important for everyone to abide by the same principles. 

 

"The issue that has arisen in the UDM has been one on whether we consistently apply the agreement of the coalition partners. Surely you can't agree to be part of the coalition and then you want to go and collobarate with the opposition to the coalition? That cannot be right because that means you are breaking the agreement you yourself signed and agreed to implement." 

 

The opposition African National Congress (ANC) brought a motion of no confidence against Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba, as well as Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip last week. 


Both motions were ultimately unsuccessful.  


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