The Democratic Alliance (DA) has reiterated its stance not to work with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) despite losing control of the City of Joburg.
Proposal
‘Slippery slope’
Former City of Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse reportedly made the proposal to the DA during a federal executive meeting this week.
Phalatse, who was removed as mayor last month, informed the DA’s leadership that EFF was open to work with the party in order to reclaim the metropolitan municipality, however, in exchange for a single committee chairperson position.
This proposal was rejected, with DA federal council chair Helen Zille insisting that the party cannot work with the EFF due to its views on white people.
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“We cannot govern with a party who applauds when their leader calls on his followers to murder people on the basis of their race,” she told Sunday Times.
Zille explained that the DA did not intend to work with the Red Berets and already have an agreement in place with the ANC, which is now in control of the City of Joburg following Dada Morero’s election as mayor.
“They just wanted to get us caught in a trap, and we nimbly sidestepped it. We cannot allow ourselves to be trapped by a party that threatens to murder whites,” the DA federal chair added.
She further said: “Once you enable the EFF to start the politics of extortion (we will do x for you if you support us with y), it is just the start of a slippery slope of increasing extortion.”
‘Best interest’
Meanwhile, Phalatse also told Sunday Times that she tabled the proposal because she believed that “it is in the best interest of residents to have a government that includes the DA”.
“I am of the view that the residents need a coalition of hope rather than an ANC-led coalition of corruption,” she said.
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The DA famously excluded the EFF from its multi-party coalition despite the Red Berets backing the party’s candidates in Johannesburg as well as in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni after the 2021 local government elections.
The party cannot govern in any of the municipalities in Gauteng without both the EFF and Patriotic Alliance (PA), which decided to abandon the coalition in Johannesburg.
Court battle
On Wednesday, the Johannesburg High Court reserved its judgment on Phalatse’s application challenging her removal.
The former mayor was ousted through a motion of no confidence vote on 30 September, after her urgent interdict to stop the council meeting was struck off the court roll on the same day.
In her papers, Phalatse has argued that the council meeting, which was chaired by Speaker Colleen Makhubele, that saw her removal was unlawful.
She is also seeking a cost order and a personal cost order on Makhubele.
The Citizen previously reported the ANC is planning to seize control of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
Ekurhuleni Mayor Tania Campbell is set to face a motion of no confidence this coming Wednesday during a sitting of council.
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