The DA is 100% committed to leading a government in Tshwane
4 March 2020
Note to Editors: The following remarks were delivered today by the DA Leader, John Steenhuisen MP, following a meeting with the DA’s Tshwane Caucus.
The current situation in the Tshwane Metro, where the city has no Mayor, no City Manager and no Mayoral Committee, is frustrating to all who want to see services delivered to the people. No single party in Tshwane has a governing majority. Of the total 213 seats, the DA has 93 seats, the ANC has 84 seats, the EFF has 20 seats and the remaining seats are shared out among several parties. A functioning government in the Metro requires some form of cooperation, whether this is through a minority government or a coalition agreement. And to establish this cooperation requires council meetings attended by at least 107 of the 213 members.
Unfortunately, the second and third biggest parties in the Metro have displayed no political will to reach an agreement on such a cooperation, and this has left the city rudderless and functioning on autopilot. This impasse, brought on by the continuous sabotage of council meetings by the ANC, cannot continue. It is imperative that we find a way forward soon, so that the people of Tshwane do not suffer.
The DA is fully committed to finding such a solution. It is also our intention to lead a government in Tshwane so that we can serve the people of the city, more of whom put their trust in the DA than in any other party. We will do whatever it takes to reach an agreement with both the ANC and the EFF – at local and national level – to break this impasse. This commitment to remain in government in Tshwane has the full support of the caucus. Our aim is to be the core of a realigned majority nationally by 2024, and the best way to achieve this is to demonstrate what we can do in government.