/ 27 October 2006

Zille meets Mufamadi for round two of talks

Cape Town mayor Helen Zille met Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi on Friday for a second round of discussions on the African National Congress’s plan to change the city’s form of government.

The two met last week, with Western Cape provincial minister of local government and housing Richard Dyantyi present. Dyantyi has given notice of his intention to strip Zille of her executive powers.

Speaking after Friday’s meeting at her office, Zille said she was ”warmly encouraged” by Mufamadi’s attitude.

”It was a very frank, very positive, very forthright meeting and I’m encouraged that we could find a way forward.”

She said she now had to speak to her partners in the city’s multiparty government and to her own Democratic Alliance caucus.

Mufamadi said he met Dyantyi for a second time on Thursday, ahead of his meeting with Zille.

”I’m encouraged by the positive attitude of both the mayor and the [provincial minister],” he said.

”It is clear that a solution cannot elude us because all of us are determined to find it.”

He would not be drawn on what that solution could be.

On Thursday, Zille led about 1 000 supporters on a ”save democracy” march through central Cape Town to deliver a memo to Dyantyi demanding he withdraw his notice. — Sapa