The Democratic Alliance said on Monday afternoon that it had been offered a deal that would give it control of the city of Cape Town.
DA Western Cape leader Theuns Botha said the offer, from the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) ”and smaller parties”, would give a grouping of 106 seats — enough for a clear majority in the 210-seat council.
”We haven’t taken a decision. We’re considering other options [as well],” he said. ”We want a stable government, not a flimsy government.”
Although the politicians have just over a week and a half to reach an agreement, senior figures in the DA predicted on Monday there was likely to be one in the next 48 hours.
DA negotiations spokesperson Ryan Coetzee said earlier the DA was having meetings with ”a variety of parties” on Monday and Tuesday, ”but that’s as much as I can say”.
”Talks are underway and are continuing,” he said. ”I think that the thing will be resolved one way or another before the deadline.”
According to the Municipal Systems Act, the first meeting of a council has to take place ”within 14 days after the council has been declared elected” — which gives parties until March 18 to come to a compromise.
”I’m hopeful we can get a government that will provide Cape Town with a good administration,” Coetzee said.
African National Congress Western Cape chairman James Ngculu confirmed that his party was in talks ”not necessarily with the DA, but with various people”, and was optimistic about progress.
”I’m thinking there’s a lot of meeting of the mind,” he said. Asked if he expected the parties would reach an agreement by the 18th, he said: ”We have to, we have no option. I think all of us must bear in mind that people voted for delivery. They didn’t vote for bickering.
”The key thing is for us to address that particular desire of the people.”
In last week’s polls the DA took 90 of the city’s 210 seats and the ANC 81, leaving neither party with an absolute majority on the council.
The Independent Democrats took 23, the ACDP seven, the African Muslim three, the United Democratic Movement two, and the Freedom Front Plus, the Pan Africanist Congress, the United Independent Front and the Universal Party one seat each.
A number of other municipalities in the province are also almost evenly split between the DA and ANC, with the ID or other smaller parties holding the balance of power.
FF+ gains ground
The total number of municipal council seats won by the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) in last week’s local government election has been increased from 78 to 79, following a recount in Bethlehem.
Party leader Pieter Mulder said on Monday he was happy with the FF+ performance — increasing its number of councillors around the country from 10 in the 2000 election to 79 this year.
”The FF+ now has, for the first time, elected representatives in eight of the provinces and councils nationwide,” he said.
It was also the first time the FF+ had succeeded in getting councillors elected in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.
”The very positive results provide a nationwide base for the party to expand its infrastructure, with the 2009 election in mind,” Mulder said.
The FF+ was now the third strongest political party in the Tshwane council, with seven councillors.
The party also had representation in five of the six metros.
”It is only in Durban where the FF+ could not succeed. The party is also in a position to play a role in city councils, such as George, Cape Town and Richard’s Bay, where there isn’t any party with a clear majority,” he said. — Sapa