Coalition talks on how to governing Gauteng metros look set to persist as political parties struggle to find each other more than a week after voting mayors into office.
The DA, which has won the three Gauteng metros with the help of other parties, said on Wednesday there was still a long way to go before agreements were reached and signed with the political parties that pushed it over the line.
DA lead negotiator and Fedex chair Helen Zille said: “Negotiations are far from over... and I do not want to say anything prematurely.”
ACDP president Rev Kenneth Meshoe described the negotiations as “not as smoothly as we hope”, as items he felt had been agreed on were back at the negotiating table.
The ACDP’s two and Freedom Front Plus’ 17 seats in Tshwane have ensured that the DA was able to form a majority government in the capital.
Meshoe, without divulging intimate details, said his party was waiting for Zille, who had apparently asked for 24 hours.
“We are unfortunately dealing with people who don’t keep their word, which makes things difficult. Some of us are used to a ‘yes’ being a ‘yes’ and a ‘no'’being a ‘no’, but some people look at what is politically convenient at the moment,” Meshoe said.
He said early indications had already shown the “coalitions are going to be rough”, Meshoe said.
He said he expected the EFF, which is not part of the negotiations, to also make demands after ensuring that the DA took both Joburg and Ekurhuleni.
Wouter Wessels, Freedom Front Plus’ head of elections, said sensitive discussions were still taking place but he expected a multilateral meeting of all coalition partners to take place today.
“The negotiations are more about a coalition agreement which is more complex in nature... positions in the mayoral committees are not a major issue,” Wessels said.
He said they had decided not to take positions in mayoral committees in councils in which they would have minority governments such as Ekurhuleni and Mogale City.
This comes as Mpho Phalatse, the first female mayor for the City of Johannesburg, gives her first mayoral speech today, but that seems to be the gist of the planned council meeting.
Parties, including those that voted the DA mayor in power about two weeks ago, confirmed that no coalition agreement had been reached.
According to the council agenda, there is no item that speaks to the election of a mayoral committee meeting.
Items on the agenda include confirmation of Section 79 committees, guidelines on the allocation of speaking times for parties as well as tabling the rules and orders of council.
Phalatse could not be reached on Wednesday for comment.
Asked if a coalition agreement had been reached yet, Action SA leader and Joburg councillor Herman Mashaba said “no”.
“ActionSA does not have any arrangements with the DA.
“[The] DA gave us a proposal on Monday, with more questions than answers. We wrote to them seeking clarity on their proposal on Wednesday [Tuesday] and we're awaiting a response,” Mashaba said.
In Ekurhuleni, where the DA has a minority government, mayor Tania Campbell said: "An announcement will be made in a couple of days.”
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