The DA made it a triple whammy in Gauteng yesterday when Randall Williams was elected unopposed for another term as mayor of Tshwane after the ANC decided it wasn’t even worth fielding a candidate as the “writing was on the wall”.
The DA holds the mayoral chains in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Pretoria thanks to votes from the EFF and Action SA, along with a spattering of smaller parties but crucially without a formal coalition in place. The DA mayors will lead minority governments, which has proven to be extremely difficult to hold together in the past.
The Midvaal municipality in Gauteng is also led by the DA and while the party did lose out on the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality on Monday, it will set its sights on Durban and the eThekwini council vote today after the first meeting descended into chaos on Monday when ANC supporters stormed the sitting. The DA will be hoping that with the backing of the smaller parties it can wrestle another mayorship away from the ANC in what would be a major blow to the governing party.
Political commentator Tebogo Khaas foresees some difficult situations ahead for our metros where the “shaky arrangements” made by the DA, EFF and Action SA will be tested to full tilt.
“To understand the urgency for incoming DA administrations in newly-minted hung councils, it’s important to be clear-eyed about how the DA was thrust into an impetuous arrangement and what this may portend for it and affected communities,” writes Khaas.
Eusebius McKaiser contends that while the DA will be extremely chuffed with itself after picking up so many unexpected victories, the fate of the hung councils is destined for a rocky road and long-term instability until the next election cycle. Most of all McKaiser writes the stability we so desperately need, shan’t materialise.
But Caiphus Kgosana writes that Julius Malema is the real “genius” of the current political zeitgeist.
“Though his party polls around 10%, he has eaten into core ANC support and it is this 10% it needs in the urban areas to remain above 50% nationally. He knows this and is using this power brilliantly to not just teach the ANC a lesson, but to force a political realignment that could see him one day deciding who gets to run the country.” (Register to read)
Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions, analysis, and editorials:
Helen Zille’s selective use of ‘facts’ can’t change the overriding truth – Daily Maverick
Hail EFF’s Julius, the tactician – The Citizen (Subscribe to read)
TONY LEON | With friends like these, the DA certainly doesn’t need enemies – Sunday Times Daily (Register to read)
Melanie Verwoerd | Metro coalitions: Gird yourself, we are in for a rougher ride than before – News24
NATASHA MARRIAN: The ANC is learning South Africans can’t eat unity – Financial Mail (Subscribe to read)
JUSTICE MALALA: How Ramaphosa can save himself – and maybe even SA – Financial Mail (Subscribe to read)
South Africa’s Monetary Policy Committee could hike interest rates at every meeting next year – Daily Maverick
