High Court vindicates the DA in Metsimaholo

23 August 2023

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Metsimaholo Local Municipality welcomed the Free State High Court's vindication that the Motion of No Confidence (MONC) in Mayor Jeff Zwane was unlawful. We further welcome the Free State High Court’s personal costs order granted against Lucas Fisher, the rogue Speaker of Metsimaholo who stubbornly failed to appreciate the rights of Mayor Jeff Zwane to call for witnesses during the illegal MONC.

On the 1st of August, the ANC/EFF tabled an illegal MONC in Mayor Zwane, who led the DA's minority government, after the DA blocked tens of millions of Rand in illegal payments to a developer. The municipality does not owe this money to the developer, which we see as a veiled attempt by the ANC/EFF to loot the municipality. If this money is paid illegally, the budget for service delivery will be eliminated.

When senior municipal officials objected to the payments, the ANC/EFF majority illegally suspended them, and some received death threats, making it impossible to stop the corruption. Even if our government does not have a majority in the council, the DA will not tolerate mafia tactics where we govern.

The DA-led Metsimaholo municipality has made significant strides towards eradicating the historic Eskom debt we inherited and are now on the road towards financial recovery. We are working with members of the community and civic organisations to address service delivery bottlenecks and form partnerships to address backlogs. We cannot allow this progress to be reversed by the ANC/EFF.

The DA reiterates its commitment towards transparency, accountability and demonstrating that where we govern, we govern well. We will continue to fight to uphold the rule of law and safeguard responsible governance, to ensure that we create a prosperous and well-managed municipality for all Metsimaholo residents.

Issued by Helen Zille, Chairperson of the DA Federal Council, 23 August 2023