Political parties in the embattled Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality say they have confidence that the municipality will improve under a new coalition government.
This is after the African National Congress (ANC) lost Maluti-A-Phofung in last week’s local government elections.
The outgoing governing party only managed to secure 40% of the votes, followed by MAP-SIXTEEN with 28.55% and Economic Freedom Fighters with 9.84 %.
Maluti-A-Phofung has been embroiled in issues of corruption, poor service delivery and political instability.
Residents in the municipality have been struggling with access to water :
Eight political parties have now come together to turn that situation around.
Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa, EFF, ACM, AULA, SARKO, MAP16, ATM, and AIC say they are up for the task.
“Once we conclude these coalition negotiations, the government that we will establish we are expecting it to deliver the basic services as the priority that the community requires. With basic services being there we expect investors to be attracted to this area,” says MAP 16’s Paratlane Motloung.
Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa (DPSA’s) Moeketsi Lebesa says they have decided to exclude the ANC.
“We have decided to exclude the ANC from the coalition government because the ANC government has failed dismally to deliver basic services to our people. Instead, they turned this municipality into a battleground of contending dooms, lack of water, disintegrating roads, sewage spillage.”
African Content Movement’s NEC Member Phuti Mosomane says; “We are delighted that a new government is emerging that will fight corruption to its core.”
Meanwhile, the leader of All Unemployment Labour Alliance (AULA) Lebohang Rapuleng, says they will focus on job creation through attracting investors.
“The focus will be on job creation because our youth are unemployed. And we’ll be focusing on attracting the investors for the purpose of job creation.”
Residents of Qwaqwa are optimistic about the coalition.
“When it comes to water and electricity I think it will be the best for Maluti-A- Phofung,” says one resident.
Another resident says; “ I think it’s going to be great for Maluti-A-Phofung on the part of service delivery.”
The Freedom Front Plus says they are still waiting for a mandate from their national structure.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has made it known that they will only enter into a coalition with parties that share their values of which they say the EFF does not.
