DA must cooperate to save Oudtshoorn

7 May 2015

The ANC Western Cape says the DA must come to the table and support the interventions suggested by cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Pravin Gordhan.

This is the ANC’s proposed way of getting the hung municipal council of Oudtshoorn out of the paralysis caused by the DA with an embarrassing illegal takeover almost two years ago. The ANC again calls on all parties to cooperate to bring the DA made impasse in Oudtshoorn to an end after the DA retained its Ward 7 in yesterday’s by-election since it fired the previous councillor for blowing the whistle on DA corruption in Oudtshoorn.

The ANC Western Cape secretary Songezo Mjongile says: “The ANC supports the package of interventions by the minister that includes the appointment of a municipal manager and chief financial officer for Oudtshoorn. The DA must also end its gamesmanship actions like the fact that its caucus walked away from the adjustment budget process and dropped the quorum that in turn made it impossible to pass the much needed budget.

“So far the DA’s local government MEC Anton Bredell has not supported the interventions by Gordhan. Bredell must cooperate to find solutions. The ANC hopes this will now happen. The issues in this municipality are not new. There is no silver bullet to solve them. That is precisely why the ANC called on minister Gordhan to intervene.”

- The ANC has in turn retained its Langeberg ward in Robertson.

Statement issued by ANC Western Cape secretary Songezo Mjongile, May 7 2015