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Another DA-Freedom Front Plus coalition collapses in the Western Cape

The breaking of ties between the DA and Freedom Front Plus in Langeberg comes after the DA lost power in Oudtshoorn Municipality earlier this month. The parties say it won’t affect other coalition agreements.
Another DA-Freedom Front Plus coalition collapses in the Western Cape The DA’s Tertuis Simmers. (Photo: Aisha Abdool Karim)

The coalition between the DA and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) in Langeberg Local Municipality in the Western Cape has been dissolved, with the DA saying this was after it had lodged a dispute against the FF+ over its refusal to support the coalition’s budget in May. 

On Wednesday, the DA’s Western Cape leader, Tertuis Simmers, said: “This constitutes a material breach of the coalition agreement and contributed significantly to the breakdown of trust between the parties.”

Simmers said the action was “all the more egregious given that all coalition partners had signalled support for the budget at a workshop held a week before the council meeting” on 30 May. 

Read more: New challengers threaten DA’s majority in Western Cape

“This issue was the final straw that broke the camel’s back in the deteriorating relationship between the DA and the Freedom Front Plus in Langeberg. When trust breaks down to that extent, it makes stable government impossible.”  

DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers. (Photo: Aisha Abdool Karim)



The FF+ Western Cape leader Corné Mulder denied the DA’s claims and said the DA had “unilaterally” broken the agreement between the two parties. 

“The FF+ did not break this coalition … There’s a clear strategy from the DA to force the FF+ out of all coalitions in the Western Cape,” Mulder told Daily Maverick. 

The rupture in DA-FF+ relations in Langeberg comes less than a week after the DA and FF+ coalition agreement in Oudtshoorn Municipality splintered after the FF+ joined the ANC, Patriotic Alliance, Good party and Oudtshoorn Community Initiative in voting for a motion of no confidence against the DA mayor Chris Macpherson. 

Macpherson’s ousting led to the collapse of the multiparty coalition agreement between the DA, FF+, the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa and Suid-Kaap Saamstaan in Oudtshoorn, reported News24

The DA and FF+ had formed a coalition government in the Langeberg Municipality after the 2021 local government elections. 

Read more: Five parties join forces with Gayton McKenzie’s PA to take on DA in Western Cape

Mulder said Simmers’ claim that the FF+ had refused to support the coalition’s budget was “blatantly untrue and a lie”.

“There was no coalition budget — there was a DA budget,” he said.

Mulder said the FF+ had expressed unhappiness with the budget, but the DA had proceeded to — without the FF+’s support — take the budget to the council and approve it with the support of the ANC. 

“As a matter of fact, we abstained because the DA was not prepared to deal with us and our concerns.”

Simmers said the FF+ was the only party which abstained from voting on the budget.

Talks with the ANC


He said the situation between the DA and FF+ was “aggravated” by the fact that the FF+ deputy mayor in Langeberg had been involved in discussions with the ANC behind the scenes. 

“Information reached us that the Freedom Front Plus was planning to join forces with the ANC to pass a motion against the DA mayor in the same way they recently did in Oudtshoorn,” he said. 

In response to questions from Daily Maverick, Mulder did not deny that the FF+ had been approached by the ANC “at some stage recently”. However, he said the FF+ had been transparent with the DA about the intention of the ANC.

“We played open cards with the DA — the deputy mayor from the FF+ went to the DA mayor with the information.”

Working together


Both Mulder and Simmers believed the rupture in DA-FF+ relations in Langeberg and Oudtshoorn would not affect the parties’ coalition agreements in other local municipalities. 

“There are a few other municipalities in the Western Cape where, among others, the Freedom Front Plus does form part of a multiparty coalition government with the DA. Our coalition agreements are signed per municipality, with the understanding that the one does not impact the other one,” Simmers told Daily Maverick.

Read more: The GNU, alliances and alignments — the 2026 municipal elections will soon test them all

He said that in municipalities where the FF+ and the DA were part of a multiparty coalition: “It’s all dependent on the interpersonal relationships between the councillors at a local level.”   

Mulder said the FF+ remained committed to all the coalition agreements it had with the DA. “We are not walking away from any coalition agreement,” he said. 

“We don’t intend to break any coalition agreement, but it’s quite clear that the DA thinks differently.” DM

Comments (8)

mrmrsteyn@gmail.com Aug 10, 2024, 12:32 PM

Apparently the FF+ had a bad apple that has charges against him. The talks with the ANC was an attempt to escape being charged. The charges were brought against him by a DA councilor, so this was an attempt to save himself. Very sad, one man's ego gets in the way of the greater good.

M P Aug 9, 2024, 05:39 AM

So sick and tired of the ego-driven politicians! Get your act together! We all want a better RSA. JHB service delivery is an utter mess because of the infighting and politicking. Private businesses and citizens will have to rescue the situation... yet we all pay millions in rates and taxes.

Noelsoyizwaphi@gmail.com Aug 8, 2024, 07:34 PM

Nothing unique here as DA and FF+ are two distinct parties. However, just like bulls of the same pastures, they will be horning each other in pursuance of advantage. This so called "collapse" is being given airtime simply because of the countty's expectation harmony between white political parties.

Fanie Rajesh Ngabiso Aug 8, 2024, 06:07 PM

Why does the FF+ even exist; it makes absolutely no sense for anyone. Is it maybe just to make the members money?

Fanie Rajesh Ngabiso Aug 8, 2024, 06:05 PM

Grow up. We need leaders who put the people first. With our puerile politicians coalitions will never work. Stop splitting the vote South Africans - vote for the one party which is actually proven to do good things for all of us - vote DA.

Roger Sheppard Aug 8, 2024, 05:22 PM

"..we abstained ... DA was not prepared to deal with us and our concerns". WHAT concerns Mulder? Is ANC going to deal with your concerns? ANC had difficulty dealing with GNU partner DA's concerns, for decades! So where is FF+ going with this? 1 week prior you agreed to DA budget, then snow-out!

Roger Sheppard Aug 8, 2024, 04:46 PM

J Steenhuizen: battle topic recalled: 2m h farm-land for blacks. Basic Ed new Min. Guriwe: control SADTU. Sport & Arts - G Mac - commands popularity (Paris, new Arts Fests etc). 3 items will collectively attack DA. Now FF+ in this game. G Mac now smiling gapingly - Rama sets up DA! Oh Zille!

Paul Caiger Aug 8, 2024, 01:48 PM

Kindergarten politics - pathetic by all involved .... EFF them all