Central SA
EFF, DA put bittersweet relationship into perspective – VIDEOS─── LUCKY NKUYANE 14:30 Wed, 02 Aug 2023
The DA and EFF, who recently became bitter rivals, have both put matters regarding their bittersweet relationship at a few municipalities across the Free State into perspective.
The EFF has played the role of a kingmaker in a few municipalities by voting with the DA against the ANC, for instance in the Mangaung Metro and Metsimaholo Municipalities. This was to either vote for a DA candidate as a speaker or mayor.
On Tuesday (1/8), parties met in the Sasolburg-based Metsimaholo Municipality but on different sides, as the DA accused the EFF of defending corruption under the rule of the ANC.
Parties met in the Sasolburg-based Metsimaholo Municipality.
DA National Federal chairperson Hellen Zille joined party leaders like Roy Jankielson, David van Vuuren, and Mary Kleynhans to picket against the removal of DA Mayor Jeff Zwane. She said at no stage did they ever request the EFF to vote and this was a matter of the EFF deciding on their own. She said Julius Malema was responsible for instructing party councillors to vote with the DA and that he needed to explain this.
“The DA has never asked for the help of the EFF. If the EFF wants to vote for us that is their business they must make their own decisions. We will never vote for them, but if they want to vote for us that's the instruction from Julius Malema, he must explain it to you. We can't give instructions to the EFF on how to vote,” Zille added.
The EFF Free State Chairperson Maphauele Liphoko responded and said the EFF voted with the DA as a matter of gesture to try and get rid of corruption. He said they were merely voting with a better devil in a view that basic service delivery would be escalated to the residents of Metsimaholo. He said a similar stunt was taken in Mangaung where the EFF voted with the DA and other parties to vote for DA speaker Maryke Davies.
He said the arrogance of the DA at most has pushed them to then decide otherwise. He said this a day when Zwane in Metsimaholo at the Zamdela multipurpose centre faced a motion of no confidence on Tuesday.
The Red Berets, who have the same number of councillors as the DA, on Tuesday voted with the ANC to oust the DA mayor.
Zwane is accused of being partisan and ignoring numerous calls from council members to accelerate services to the people of Sasolburg, in particular in Zamdela.
Parties met in the Sasolburg-based Metsimaholo Municipality.
“In Mangaung, it's a different ball game altogether and I think you are correct in raising that issue. We are not here to support a specific political party. We are not in coalition with any political party, we are in coalition with our people, so if our people are served properly, we have no problem, we will support whoever.”
On Tuesday, the Zamdela multiple-purpose centre was turned into a political scene as members of parties sang and chanted struggle songs in support of their respective political parties.
