THE DA in Ekurhuleni is still negotiating with other parties in a bid to gain control of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
Mike Waters, MP and deputy chief whip of the official opposition in Parliament, said: We are delighted with our growth in Ekurhuleni and the fact that we brought the ANC below 50%, meaning no party can govern without a coalition.
“This obviously opens doors of opportunity for the DA to form a coalition government in Ekurhuleni.
“As the ANC is only four seats short of an overall majority, while the DA needs 36 seats, we are currently in negotiations with all opposition parties in order to secure a majority. At this stage negotiations are still ongoing,” he told Express on Thursday.
The ANC in Ekurhuleni has been dealt a severe blow with the EFF’s announcement on Wednesday that it will throw its weight behind the DA.
Ekurhuleni initially planned its inaugural meeting for today (Friday) but it has since been postponed to Tuesday. At this meeting, to be chaired by the city manager, Khaya Ngema, a new mayor, speaker and chief whip will be elected.
The mayoral candidates opposing each other are Mzwandile Masina (ANC) and Ghaleb Cachalia (DA).
Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, made it clear at Wednesday’s press briefing that the EFF would not go into a coalition with any political party, but that it would vote with the DA in the Tshwane, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay metros.
“The DA must know, our voting for them in these metros does not mean we are in bed together. They are the lesser devil,” Malema said.
Inkatha Freedom Party NEC member, Narend Singh, said on Wednesday the party had chosen to work with the DA and EFF in hung municipalities in
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, comparing their new-found co-operation to a marriage.
