Could FF Plus give EFF its first taste of power at Metsimaholo municipality?

The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), which stands in the way of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) taking control of the Metsimaholo Local Municipality in Sasolburg, is reportedly mulling over giving the Red Berets control of the council.

Business Day reported on Tuesday discussions between the two parties were continuing, although nothing had been decided as yet.

The municipality, which had since the last local government election in 2016 been governed by a coalition between the DA, the Metsimaholo Civic Association (MCA) and the FF Plus, has crumbled after the leader and town mayor Sello Hlasa of the MCA  apparently aligned himself with the ANC.

FF Plus member of the Free State legislature Wouter Wessels told the business daily the stumbling block to the party throwing its weight behind the EFF was its perceived disregard for the rule of law.

“The reason why we [are] … hesitant to support the EFF is because we cannot support an organisation that does not have any respect for law and order, and the constitution.

“They promote unconstitutional behaviour, they promote lawlessness … we can’t support them with a clear conscience. So we will have to make [a] … final decision, but that is our stance at this stage,” Wessels said.

Sources close to the negotiations told the paper said the FF Plus’s federal executive had decided soon after the municipal polls that it would not enter into coalitions with the ANC nor the EFF.

A special council meeting for a vote of no confidence against Hlasa has been postponed indefinitely because of issues with the DA’s member of the mayoral committee for finance, Benjamin Mothibe.

Mothibe has been accused of conspiring to vote with the ANC and Hlasa’s association in the event of a motion of no confidence being brought in council.

The DA in the Free State has reportedly terminated his membership. There are also allegations that municipal manager Steve Molala is protecting Mothibe.

Molala has been accused of withdrawing a notice sent to the Electoral Commission of SA, informing it the DA official had been fired and would be replaced after Mothibe was apparently appealing against his dismissal, but the DA said he could not appeal his dismissal.

The DA has accused the municipal manager of meddling in internal party matters. The party has reportedly taken legal action to have Mothibe removed.