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Maimane defends track record of DA municipalities

DA leader Mmusi Maimane
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Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane says coalition governments are supposed to work well if the priority of politicians becomes service delivery. Maimane says the consideration on whether coalition governments are working should be based on the passing of budgets and improvements in the lives of citizens.

This comes as the DA Mayor in the Nelson Mandela Municipality in Port Elizabeth, Athol Trollip, is to face another motion of no-confidence from the coalition partners.

Maimane has defended the party’s track record in municipalities affected by infighting among its councillors. He appeared not bothered by what is being labelled the DA’s great mayoral meltdown ahead of next year’s elections.

DA caucuses recently lost faith in their Mayors in Cape Town, Matzikama, Bergrivier, Knysna and George.  The latest incident being the Knysna Municipality where the new Mayor, Marc Willemse, assumed office by voting with the opposition and electing himself Mayor.

“The Mayor of Knysna is elected on the back of a mandate that does not come from DA. He has not sat in front of a selection panel that shows he is the best person for the job and so naturally we are going to do a set up that will sit and choose the best person for the job for people of Knysna to ensure that we deliver for the people. Has the municipality collapsed, no.”

Maimane says the DA has turned around the fortunes of many municipalities in which the party took control during the last municipal elections. He says there have been successes in coalition municipalities like Modimolle and Thabazimbi in Limpopo.

Modimolle Mayor, Marlene van Staden, says her municipality is in a successful coalition with the Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus.“You can work with extremely diverse parties in ideology and make it work if you keep politics aside and look at what could be the best thing for the municipality, what is the best thing for your town, and the decision will it be good for the politics or for the town.”

Maimane says processes are underway to replace Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille. De Lille agreed to resign with effect from the end of October following months of acrimony with her party.

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