The Independent Democrats have rejected a final offer to become part of a multiparty government in the city of Cape Town, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday.
The DA, which holds the executive mayoral position, said the ID were offered two seats on the mayoral committee, three chairmanships of sub-councils and three positions on the bargaining council, in exchange for a commitment to promote stability and consensus-seeking in the city.
”At the eleventh hour, the ID rejected this entirely reasonable offer,” said the DA’s Ryan Coetzee in a statement.
He said the ID, which last week voted for the ANC in a shoot-out between two mayoral candidates, had ”pinned its colours to the mast” by choosing not to stand with opposition parties in Cape Town.
The ID’s leader, Patricia de Lille, will hold a press briefing at 10am on Thursday to explain its position.
At 10am the inaugural meeting of the executive mayor, Helen Zille and members of the mayoral committee will be held in the council chambers.
At this meeting, Zille was expected to announce the members who would serve on this committee.
It was unclear whether a mooted motion of no-confidence in Zille will be passed at this meeting.
The DA’s Zille has to make sure a paper-thin coalition of smaller parties, which ensured her the mayoral chain, does not buckle under pressure with offers from the African National Congress.
On Tuesday, De Lille said the ID would not consider or participate in a motion of no confidence in the mayor.
”If the ANC as a party wants to pursue a motion of no confidence, they are perfectly free to do so.”
De Lille said if all negotiations failed, the ID would remain in opposition and consider everything before the council on an ”issue-by-issue” basis. – Sapa