DA is not in coalition with the EFF in Ditsobotla and never will be

23 June 2023

The DA in North West categorically rejects the Patriotic Alliance’s (PA) disingenuous assertion that the DA has entered into a coalition with the EFF in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality.

The DA is on record that we would never enter into a coalition with the EFF whose ideology and policy framework does not align with our own.

The facts around developments in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality are as follows:

DA Cllr Ronald Matlholoa was elected acting-Speaker on 31 May 2023, after Speaker Fekile Jakeni was placed on sick leave, until the end of June 2023, which was Speaker Jakeni’s return date, but he sadly passed away;

DA Cllr Matlholoa was nominated by DA Cllr Agust Schnepel and the motion was seconded by DA Cllr Willie Pretorius. The ANC nominated Cllr Thapelo Sehomo, but Cllr Matlholoa won the election with 19 votes to Thapelo’s 16;

The Motion of No Confidence (MONC) in the PA’s Mayor, Cllr Elizabeth Lethoko, was submitted by the Forum For Service Delivery (F4SD) in January 2023 immediately after the first Council meeting after the PA’s leader, Gayton Mckenzie, told her to resign because he felt the ANC was undermining their coalition agreement. The resignation was subsequently withdrawn;

The MONC in Mayor Lethoko was debated on 08 June 2023 and carried without any objections. There was no vote by ballot on the MONC;

The F4SD nominated Cllr Thabo Nkashe for Mayor, the motion was seconded by the Save Ditsobotla party, there was no counter nomination or objection, the motion carried unanimously, there was no vote by ballot and Cllr Thabo Nkashe from the F4SD was elected the new mayor.

As set out above, there were no negotiations between the DA and the EFF. And the DA has had no part in the mess between the ANC and the PA.

The DA will never betray its voters, nor will we compromise on our firm principles for political expediency, which, by the way, is exactly what the PA has been doing unashamedly since its formation.

We stand firm in service of the people of Ditsobotla. We will continue to fight for improved governance, quality basic service delivery, and accountability in Ditsobotla.

The DA remains the only political party of government with a credible track record in improving the lives of residents through good governance, quality basic service delivery, and job creation like we do in the Western Cape and in all municipalities that we govern throughout South Africa.

Issued by Leon Basson, DA North West Provincial Leader, 23 June 2023