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Dilly Dallying DA Chases its tail in a time of crisis

By

Dear Editor

A wise person once said: Anyone can lead when things are going according to plan. Real leaders show their mettle when things are falling apart.

As the party which harvested the biggest support in the November election (210 000 votes) the DA’s posture in the current crisis is a betrayal of the promise they made to their voters, to rescue the Metro from the political paralysis of the past decade.

They are dragging their feet about supporting the drive to eject the ANC from City Hall on the basis of the most tenuous of reasons, a fig leaf if ever there was one.

1. MM STANDOFF

Zille, disingenuously, says they will not get involved before the stand-off over the Municipal Manager position has been resolved.

In his judgment Judge Goosen counseled that the Council itself should resolve the crisis instead of relying on litigation. It has the legal authority to review and rescind decisions which gave rise to the conflict.

But the Council will not be able to take such remedial action without the DA’s votes while they are waiting outside for someone else to clean up the mess before they will come in.

2. MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE

Provincial chairperson Whitfield speaks out of both sides of his mouth when he explains why the DA did not attend the Council meeting of 28 April to table a motion of no confidence against the Mayor, a meeting they themselves had petitioned along with other parties.

He says the meeting could not take place as the MEC declined to send an official to preside in the absence of a Speaker and a recognised Municipal Manager.

But then he goes on to say the DA now realises it signed the petition “prematurely” without a coalition agreement in place and a plan to govern.

So which is the real reason holding up the motion of no confidence – the MEC or the DA’s coalition agreement with its partners?

3. WATER CRISIS

They say they are wary of residents blaming them for the catastrophe should the dams run totally dry.

But the drought did not start yesterday. Before the elections Mayor Bhanga was part of municipal initiatives to mitigate the impact of the water crisis.

It is insulting to the collective intelligence of the greater community to suggest that everyone might turn on them should the catastrophe come to pass.

That is patently disingenuous, yet again, coming from a party that only a few months ago campaigned for a “50 plus one” majority in the elections in the midst of the very same water crisis.

4. MAYORAL CANDIDATE

Despite Zille’s smokescreen, what is emerging as possibly one of the main reasons they are dragging their feet is that they do not have a suitable mayoral candidate.

That is astonishing coming from a party with their experience in government and which boasts about the robustness of its internal structures.

Mayor Bhanga was “deployed” to Bhisho five months ago. Who would believe that since then their leadership has not been able to identify a successor who enjoys broad support within the party and has the stature to lead the Metro?

The ACDP, which is keen to be part of a new coalition to remove the ANC, has even proposed the election of an interim Mayor while the DA sorts out its in-house issues, as long as the ANC is removed from power pronto. But they are not yielding.

So much for the party that campaigned on a ticket of “getting things done”.

5. STABLE COALITIONS

Zille makes a big play of the DA not wanting to be part of a complex “10-party coalition where one tiny party can hold a gun to our heads if it does not get its way”.

Unfortunately in our political milieu it is unlikely there will ever be a coalition that could possibly have preordained stability. That is the nature of politics the world over.

Furthermore, all indications to date are that coalitions are the way of the future for the Republic.

In fact the country could possibly be led by a coalition government after the national elections in 2024 when it is projected that the ANC could fall under 50%.

6. THE BUDGET

The DA is now beating its chest that it’s through its efforts that the Council finally got to meet to pass its adjustment budget.

That may be well and good, but what value is there in then failing to show up for a meeting to table a vote of no confidence against the Mayor, thereby leaving the newly-passed budget in the hands of the ANC to mismanage?

7. CO-GOVERNING WITH THE ANC

Speculation has emerged that one of the reasons they are stalling is that they may also be considering the proposal by the Civil Society Coalition to go into a power-sharing arrangement with the ANC.

So, could this be the “stable” two-party coalition Zille desires?

And could it be a harbinger of a possible 2024 scenario should the ANC fall under 50%?

Steenhuisen is already on record saying the DA would be willing to work with the ANC at national level on condition it is led by the Ramaphosa faction of “reformers”, as he calls them.

Regards

Mandla Tyala.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.