EFF hyenas are prowling around mayorless Joburg

With Herman Mashaba leaving the Johannesburg mayoral office today, decisions are being made about the relationship of the Democratic Alliance (DA) with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

The way our democracy works, such decisions are taken by party leadership, not by ward councillors or voters.

Last week DA interim leader John Steenhuisen said: “We are committed to ensuring we don’t throw Joburg back to the wolves.” Meaning the party will not let the ANC reclaim power.

Indeed, it would be bad if the ANC were back in control. On the other hand, there is a perception that hyenas are feasting. The EFF are not squeaky clean alternatives to the ANC.

Consider the Sunday Times’ November 24 main story on how VBS loot helped buy a R5 million house for EFF leader Julius Malema. There are similar reports about Malema’s deputy, Floyd Shivambu. The National Prosecuting Authority recently announced it would charge three On Point Engineering directors with tender fraud. Malema, whose Ratanang Family Trust was connected to On Point Engineering, “will not be charged for now”.

The EFF is also allegedly linked to the multimillion-rand Glad Africa scandal in Tshwane. Investigative journalism unit amaBhungane names the EFF in “a possible kickback derived from a R1 billion fleet tender involving the City of Johannesburg”.

The DA’s clean governance record will be at risk if the party remains beholden to the EFF.

Apart from corruption, and ideological differences over race and property ownership, another repellant is that the EFF has cost the DA support in Joburg. One council seat lost, more to follow.

Before a July 24 by-election, ward 109 had a DA councillor. The ward includes bits of Morningside Manor, Wendywood, Kelvin, Marlboro Gardens and Alexandra. A vacancy arose when exemplary ward councillor Werner Smit resigned. He was fed up. Despite Herculean efforts, he received no executive support in dealing with EFF-inspired land invasions.

According to Smit, “the mayor’s office actively worked to stop the enforcement of by-laws relating to land invasions”. Both DA and EFF were punished on by-election day. In 2016 the EFF had won the bellwether ward 109 voting district of Setswetla with 679 votes. In the 2019 by-election it polled 329, while the ANC share increased from 668 to 814. The ward (and council seat) went to “the wolves”.

For similar reasons the DA will lose ward 120, which includes Lenasia South, Hospital Hill, Migson Manor, Unaville and part of Vlakfontein. Masssive land invasions have gone unchecked.

I worked there in 2015-16, helping the energetic Vinay Chooney win the ward from the ANC. Now residents say the DA-led administration is soft on invaders.

By-law enforcement is weak when thousands live in parks and along river beds; taxis routinely drive the wrong way on busy roads; and illegal advertisers deface the city with impunity.

If a DA-led municipality can uphold the rule of law, protect property rights, and deliver services efficiently to all residents, a relationship with the EFF might be tolerable.

If the EFF is an impediment to the above, don’t throw residents and councillors to the dogs.

Martin Williams, DA councillor and former editor of The Citizen.

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