DA and ANC could now work together in Gauteng

DA Gauteng chairperson Fred Nel says his party is currently in talks with the ANC to allow the DA to stay in power in Tshwane.

According to Nel, if the DA and the ANC agree all municipalities in Gauteng would remain stable until the next elections in 2026.

The quest to save Tshwane

The DA has been trying to save Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink from a motion of no confidence later this month.

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“There is no formal proposal. The initial proposal was to look at a way to keep local government stable until 2026,” he told The Citizen.

Nel said should the agreement be formalized it would come with certain conditions.

“One needs to reserve the right that if things fall apart you bring about changes, if it’s necessary. So it won’t be an agreement without conditions,” he said.

ANC blue ticking?

Nel said these informal talks had taken place at a national level, but he said there was still no response from the ANC.

“We had an initial discussion with the ANC about this but they have not come back to us yet. So we are waiting for them to come back and tell us if they are willing to enter into such an agreement,” he said.

The Citizen had contacted the ANC in Gauteng for comment. Any update will be included once received.

ANC Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi has previously indicated that the party was working on a plan to reclaim all municipalities in the province.

ActionSA-ANC working relationship

The ANC in the province has already struck a deal with ActionSA to take over some municipalities.

Nel said there were concerns the ANC in Gauteng could be doing its own thing.

“There is always a risk that the provincial leadership wants to go in a different direction and that seems to be at this stage the main stumbling block within the ANC,” he said.

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Nel said he hoped that all structures of the ANC could agree to the talks.

“We have to try to stabilize their municipalities. we are doing our role and we hope that others play their part as well,” he said.