Coalition talks collapse after DA rejects Kunene’s bid for mayorship

DA provincial leader Solly Msimanga said his party rejected the Patriotic Alliance’s demands that its deputy president Kenny Kunene takes over the mayoral chain alongside two mayoral committee portfolios.

“The DA proposed reverting to the last negotiated agreement in Johannesburg as the only existing agreement on which an alternative to the ANC/EFF can be based‚” said Msimanga.

He said removing one government without having any idea how they will constitute a viable alternative would inevitably lead to more chaos.

“We would then find ourselves negotiating afterwards with a gun to our heads in what would amount to little more than extortion in the horse-trading for positions‚” said Msimanga.

The DA leader said the party has a clear policy to negotiate and sign coalition agreements before they move into government.

“That is why we are prepared to revive the coalition agreement on which our previous coalition government was based before we were toppled from power when the PA voted with the ANC‚” said Msimanga.

However‚ ActionSA believes the DA is to blame for the collapse of talks‚ saying the party used the opportunity to push their own candidate‚ Mpho Phalatse‚ but announced conditions they required from the PA prior to the PA supporting a DA candidate.

ActionSA chairperson Michael Beaumont said it has never been the case that a party imposes conditions on another party’s support‚ and it seemed the conditions were imposed with the intention of creating a deadlock in talks.

“When the PA refused to accept the conditions‚ it became apparent there was no road to a majority of support for Phalatse’s candidature‚ even with the support of ActionSA‚ IFP‚ VF Plus‚ ACDP and UIM. At this point all former coalition partners confirmed their willingness to support ActionSA’s candidate Funzi Ngobeni‚” said Beaumont.

The ActionSA leader said the PA confirmed they would be open to supporting Ngobeni‚ and that the DA possessed the required seats to give his candidature the majority to keep the ANC and EFF out of Joburg.

However‚ he said the DA refused.

Beaumont accused the DA as deeming the residents of Joburg expendable for their regional Western Cape politics.

“The issue of the PA and how they coalesce is predominantly in the Western Cape and has absolutely no bearing on the residents of Joburg.

“The DA’s imposition of conditions upon the PA is all about how they position the PA in the Western Cape and ignores the fact that the PA were at the table in Joburg (for a second time in four months) to restore the coalition in Joburg‚” said Beaumont.

The city of Johannesburg council is expected to hold a meeting on Friday to elect a new person for the top job.

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