Tshwane council war may rage on despite court ruling – analyst

The DA in Tshwane should expect another battle between opposition parties in council despite a court judgment reinstating the party to continue running the capital city, an analyst said.

The party was victorious yesterday when the Supreme Court of Appeal finally dismissed, with cost, an appeal lodged by the Gauteng provincial government in July against the High Court ruling for the DA to be reinstated with immediate effect.

This after Tshwane council was dissolved in March by Gauteng MEC of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) Lebogang Maile and a team of administrators were appointed to run the city instead.

But the court ruling meant the team of administrators, headed by Mpho Nawa, had to immediately vacate the city for the DA and all councillors to return. A council sitting would be expected to take place by either Friday or Monday, the DA said in a press briefing yesterday.

“This is a fantastic win for the DA and I am delighted that the judgment has now given the DA the green light to immediately reinstate our government in Tshwane so that we can roll up our sleeves and do what we were elected to do – serve the residents of South Africa’s capital and bring the DA difference to South Africans,” said DA interim leader John Steenhuisen.

A new mayor would also be expected to be appointed soon, with the DA’s Randall Williams being the only proposed mayoral candidate by the party. The EFF and ANC had not put forward a possible candidate.

But Maile and the Gauteng executive council would consider the Supreme Court’s ruling today, said Cogta spokesperson Castro Ngobese.

“Thereafter, the executive council will make a formal and comprehensive response to the judgment,” he said.

While constant disruptions of council sittings earlier this year led to a political impasse in the city which resulted in it being placed under administration, the court judgment might not restore calm in council as the DA had hoped, said political analyst Somadoda Fikeni.

He said he expects the battle to continue until next year’s local government elections as this had been the pattern in DA-led metropolitan municipalities.

“In Nelson Mandela Bay, when they wanted to sit, the DA didn’t want to sit. That replicated itself in Tshwane and Johannesburg. ANC and EFF, who are majority parties which are angry because they are being forced to take a certain decision, will frustrate whoever comes in, but also it forecloses any possibility of DA having coalition arrangements in the opposition parties,” said Fikeni.

While the party was in talks with coalition parties such as ACDP, Freedom Front Plus, and Cope, DA Gauteng chairperson Mike Moriarty said a line of communication with the ANC was opened, but the EFF had not yet been engaged.

But the EFF was likely to not work with the DA and to abstain from voting for the nominated mayoral candidate, said Fikeni.

“[The DA] may have a short-term view of between now and May/June next year to control [Tshwane]. But if you control it, when it is clear you will be frustrated all the way, then it might be of no use to want to control it… They may achieve the technical victory but lose the political battle,” he said.

Tshwane EFF leader Moafrika Mabogwane and Tshwane ANC Kgosi Maepa said they would first discuss the court judgment before providing comment on their next move.

-rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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