The EFF turned on Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba on Tuesday when they dealt his 2018-19 budget a huge blow, rejecting his planned tariffs and rates increases. The issue of tariffs increases could further test a coalition already strained by the dismissal of Inkatha Freedom Party MMC Mzobanzi Ntuli by Mashaba last week. The decision by the metro’s kingmakers, the EFF, to abstain from voting on the tariffs led to the collapse of Mashaba’s revenue plan and created a huge funding gap in the coming financial year. The DA-led coalition now has until the end of June to get the other parties in the metro on the same page. The EFF has pledged it will do all it can to stifle passage of the increases. Mashaba said he was confident the impasse would be resolved within the next seven days, and said it was not "insurmountable". He would get legal advice on the matter, adding that the situation was "a minefield of legal challenges". He said on Tuesday evening he would advise on the steps forwar...

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