The African National Congress (ANC) highest decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC) has instructed its national coalition task team to intervene and stabilise municipalities.
This was revealed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Boksburg where the NEC held a three-day meeting to deliberate on its electoral decline in the 29 May polls among other things. This was then followed by a Lekgotla.
ANC SENDS OUT COALITION TASK TEAM TO STABILIES MUNICIPALITIES
During his address, Ramaphosa confirmed that the ANC suffered its major electoral decline in metro municipalities. This has been the case since the 2021 Local Government Elections. Despite this, most of the metros are governed by an ANC-led coalition.
He said the instability, disfunction and poor performance of metros like Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and Buffalo City are clearly reflected in the election results.
“We therefore need decisive interventions in these metros. This is necessary, not simply for the ANC’s electoral prospects but for the sake of engendering inclusive growth, ensuring that there is job creation and that there is poverty reduction. These metros are where millions of our people lie, where most economic activity actually takes place,” he said.
He also confirmed that the first engagement will start in Johannesburg.
“The NEC made an assessment in all hung municipalities and has decided to work with a range of parties to stabilise municipalities across the country. During this month, the national task team on coalitions will be engaging starting in Johannesburg and it will also help to restore, rebuild and renew various structures,” he added.
ACTIONSA GETS INTO BED WITH FORMER RULING PARTY
In July, ActionSA placed three key conditions on its conditional support of a new government in the City of Johannesburg, first of which is the removal of executive mayor Kabelo Gwamanda from the Al Jama-ah.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said at the heart of the declining condition of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni is the instability that has persisted in these coalitions as coalition partners, especially in Johannesburg, seek to condition their support for governance matters based on extraneous issues to Johannesburg or its residents.
Like his predecessor, Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda’s tenure has been an unmitigated failure. Mashaba said Johannesburg’s downward spiral is evident everywhere.
“ActionSA has contemplated the fact that it holds a significant number of seats in Johannesburg, and we have concluded that the party cannot sit on its hands anymore as the metro continues its downward spiral to the detriment of Joburg residents.
“It is for this reason that ActionSA will adopt the role of the constructive opposition, as we have done in Parliament about the grand coalition, and will make our support available to any government in Johannesburg on an issue-by-issue basis. To facilitate this constructive opposition role, ActionSA will take up several positions in the legislature so that we have the platform to hold any new government to account,” Mashaba explained.
HOW CAN COALITIONS BE STABILISED IN SOUTH AFRICA?
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