‘Chaos if mayor not elected’ – analyst
“Should the political parties not be able to work together and elect a mayor it will be a big problem.”
Chaos and political instability could erupt in the municipality should the Tshwane metro council not elect a mayor today, a political analyst warned.
This could prompt by-elections and the provincial government possibly interfering again, said Unisa political expert Professor Dirk Kotze.
“Should the political parties not be able to work together and elect a mayor it will be a big problem,” he told Rekord.
“As it stands the parties are seemingly not working together. There is no political coalition: the EFF previously divorced the DA and that creates a gap because for Tshwane to have a mayor there has to be a coalition.”
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Persistent legal losses for the provincial government in the saga has also damaged its judgment capability on municipal interference.
Kotze was speaking on the Supreme Court of Appeals’ judgment reinstating councillors at work.
He it was another blow to the provincial government’s decision on dissolving the council.
Kotze, however, said the final say on the issue whether the provincial government flouted its political power would be decided by the Constitutional Court.
“It will be interesting to see the court’s judgment, as it will give clarity on the metro’s way forward,” he said.
“It would decide whether there would be by-elections or the DA will stay in power. Second to this, it will give clarity whether the provincial government made the right move in dissolving the metro.’’
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga agreed the court’s ruling was important.
It would set precedence on how the powers of interference needed to be exercised by the provincial government, he said.
Mathekga said while the political disputes continued at the council affected service delivery under the ruling of DA, the provincial government was obligated to assist following procedure.
This comes after the Supreme Court of Appeals ruled in favour of the DA to have councillors back at the council while awaiting on the Constitutional Court ruling on the legality of the metro by the provincial government.
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