Deputy President Paul Mashatile has told the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) that coalitions should prioritise people, service delivery and good governance.
He was answering questions in the NCOP about the outcomes of a recent national dialogue on developing a framework for coalition governments, reports Herald Live.
A comprehensive report would be tabled before the NCOP once participating political parties had consulted their constituencies. The IFP is the only party that has responded so far.
“We are awaiting other parties to do the same and then we’ll finalise the document. So it’s a very comprehensive approach, because we’re not doing it ad hoc. We’re doing it for the future and to be able to ensure stable government throughout the country,” he is reported to have said. Legislation is expected to follow.
Governing by coalition has proved challenging at a local level, with Johannesburg, for example, appointing its fifth mayor in May in less than two years. Coalitions have also toppled in Knysna, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane since August 2022. Currently, South Africa has about 81 hung municipalities.
“Through collaborative efforts we can establish a robust and effective, stable and resilient local government that serves all our citizens. By defining the rules, procedures, and potential sanctions that would apply to political parties and independent councillors who govern together, we will ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in our political system,” Mashatile told the NCOP.
Herald Live reports that Mashatile was asked whether the discussions about coalitions were an admission from the ANC that the party could get below 50% in the 2024 elections. In response, the deputy president told the house that the governing party is campaigning for victory and not to be in a coalition.
‘The national executive committee of the ANC decided that South Africa already has coalition governments in many local authorities. The coalitions are there, the NEC then said let’s come up with clear set of rules, not so much about 2024, that will guide coalition governments,” said Mashatile.
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