Ekurhuleni government on shaky ground, mayor could be removed, say coalition partners

Less than a week after Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell’s statement reassuring voters that all was well, her coalition partners did not hold back from criticising the ability of the DA-led coalition to govern the city.

ActionSA, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) all said the minority government in Ekurhuleni is on shaky ground.

PA spokesperson Charles Cilliers suggested that should a vote of no confidence be instituted against Campbell right now, it would also mean the end of another DA-led multiparty government.

“We will be voting against the DA in the motion of no confidence on the mayor,” he said.

Campbell removed PA councillors from MMC positions recently, further alienating the party. Last week, the multiparty coalition issued a statement announcing the replacement of the PA MMCs. Campbell filled the human settlements position with a DA councillor and health and social development with an ActionSA representative.

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The EFF’s provincial chair and party leader in its caucus in Ekurhuleni, Nkululeko Dunga, said: “The status of the coalition is rocky, not only because of dynamics of the region but because of the interference of national leadership of the DA and meddling in operations of the region, particularly [DA federal chair] Helen Zille, who willingly trades off influence and amends coalition agreements without thorough engagements with other coalition partners.”

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said smaller parties in Ekurhuleni never had enough seats to run a stable local government in the first place.

“The fact is that in the event of a motion of no confidence against the mayor in Ekurhuleni, we have no numbers to protect her,” he said.

Campbell’s statement last week sought to instil public confidence in the coalition. She said: “Rumours have been circulating regarding the state of the multiparty coalition government in the City of Ekurhuleni. I feel it prudent to dispel these rumours and ease the concerns of residents.”

But the EFF is not happy. According to Mashaba, the Campbell-led council apparently reneged on committee chair position commitments to the EFF, which ActionSA was asked to broker at first. Consequently the EFF looks as if it has switched allegiance.

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Dunga said it was “an open secret that the EFF has had engagements with the ANC leadership in Gauteng”. He said the two parties share a constituency and, as such, it was not unnatural to meet.

Yesterday, former Joburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse hinted that the grapevine suggested ActionSA also intend to cosy up to the ANC.

‘Zille part of the reason Phalatse failed’

But Mashaba responded to what he called rumour-mongering and simply said: “Over my dead body will that ever happen.”

The EFF is frustrated with Campbell, accusing her coalition government of only implementing service delivery in white areas.

And Mashaba noted: “The stability of a government is based on the fundamental point of effective service delivery to the black townships.”

He suggested interference by Zille was part of the reason Phalatse failed and said this top-down approach may also accelerate the demise of Campbell’s reign.

“She gave too much power to Helen Zille to set the agenda and in the process, caused a rift between her and ActionSA executives.”

Zille was the common denominator in criticism from the PA, the EFF and ActionSA in both cities.

The Citizen asked a few DA councillors about the matter, to which all responded with similar sentiments to their colleagues across the aisle. One DA councillor said Zille’s sell-by date had long passed.

Mashaba said Zille was the best asset for opposition parties as she was sure to herd votes and floor crossers in ActionSA’s direction.

Dunga said: “The DA seems to think it is in power and has been given authority on its own without a need to engage and compromise, even though they find themselves in coalition with some parties to whom they are ideologically opposed. They are pompous and arrogant in their approach and self-destructive.” He said this was part of the reason the DA-led coalition in Joburg failed.

“The conduct of the DA was so arrogant that the [ousted] speaker [Vasco da Gama] could do as he pleased – table reports that have not gone through the stipulated processes and procedures, bulldoze for their adoption by council and arrogantly implement decisions delegated to council on his own.

“One thing this has shown us is that the DA is not as effective in governing as the ANC was in Ekurhuleni when they were in power.”

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– news@citizen.co.za