Absence of rules to govern coalitions ‘a recipe for chaos’, says Mashatile

Conceding that the emergence of coalition governments in South Africa caught parties by surprise, Deputy President Paul Mashatile yesterday told parliament that the absence of rules governing political alliances was a recipe for chaos, instability and ineffective service delivery, with community interests taking a back seat.

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Mashatile was addressing the National Council of Provinces after political parties last month held a national dialogue on coalitions to discuss the rules governing coalitions as the country reels from poor governance in 81 hung municipalities.

Mashatile said: “Through collaborative efforts, we can establish a robust, effective, stable and resilient local government that serves all citizens.

“By defining the rules, procedures and potential sanctions that would apply to political parties and independent councillors who govern together, we will ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in our political system.

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“As we agreed as an outcome of the dialogue, we are expected to enhance the declaration and process roadmap toward the development of the framework, leading to the drafting of legislation to govern coalition governments.”

Mashatile on border management

Responding to safety and security issues on border management, Mashatile said in 2020 the government passed the Border Management Authority Act into law “paving the way for the establishment of the Border Management Authority (BMA)”.

The BMA was mandated by legislation to:

• Manage the legitimate movement of persons and goods within the border law enforcement area and at ports of entry.
• Coordinate border law enforcement functions with other organs of state, border communities or any other persons.

“The BMA has intercepted thousands of individuals trying to enter the country illegally and recovered numerous stolen items.

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“We are also taking measures to ensure public safety in cross-border communities, townships and informal settlements by increasing the number of police officers on the streets and creating specialised teams to focus on specific types of crime.”

Mashatile said government was “determined to tackle the issue of violent crime and other forms of criminal activity”.

“We are pursuing national, provincial and local measures to prevent crime. We believe that by working together – as government, civil society and the private sector – we can make meaningful progress,” he said.

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On his bodyguards facing criminal charges for assault, Mashatile said: “The deputy president was in the convoy, but not on the crime scene.”