DA-led Theewaterskloof coalition collapses after ANC backs FF+ mayor

By Victoria O’Regan

2 Sep 2024

Theewaterskloof is the latest municipality in the province to change hands.

The newly formed coalition between the DA and Good in Theewaterskloof Local Municipality collapsed in a special council meeting on Monday morning.

The rupture comes only two weeks after the DA, Good and the Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party (SRWP) formed a coalition in the municipality.

In a joint statement announcing the coalition agreement on 14 August 2024, the parties said they had united for “stability” in Theewaterskloof, saying “residents can finally find faith in an administration that cares and puts the needs of residents first”.

The local municipality has been beset by financial troubles for years; made worse by the severe weather which wreaked havoc in the Overberg region of the Western Cape in September 2023. It includes the towns of Greyton, Grabouw, Genadendal, Villiersdorp, Tesselaarsdal, Riviersonderend, Caledon and Botrivier.

Theewaterskloof was one of 16 hung councils in the Western Cape after the 2021 local government elections.

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

On Monday, a motion of no confidence was brought against the newly minted DA mayor, Lincoln de Bruyn. The motion was tabled by ANC councillor Derick Appel and was seconded by alderman Raymond Nongxaza (ANC).

In a statement on social media following the council meeting, Theewaterskloof Municipality said that during the mayoral vote, Freedom Front Plus (FF+) councillor Theunis “Tienie” Zimmerman was nominated by Appel, with his nomination seconded by Nongxaza.

Following a secret ballot vote, Zimmerman was elected as mayor with 14 votes, while De Bruyn received 13 votes.

Theunis Zimmerman of the Freedom Front Plus was elected
as the new mayor of Theewaterskloof Municipality.

Theewaterskloof is the latest municipality in the province to change hands. Last month, the DA crashed out of power in Langeberg Local Municipality after the coalition agreement between the DA and the FF+ crumbled when the DA lodged a dispute with the FF+ over its refusal to support the coalition’s budget in May.

This came after the DA had lost power in Oudtshoorn Local Municipality earlier in August. In Oudshoorn, the DA and FF+ coalition agreement had splintered when the FF+ joined the ANC, Patriotic Alliance (PA), Good party and Oudtshoorn Community Initiative in voting for a motion of no confidence against the then DA mayor.

Read more: ANC and FF Plus join forces in new local governance model in Western Cape

In a statement on Monday afternoon, DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers said the move by “a group of small opposition parties” to oust De Bruyn, followed the steps De Bruyn had “taken to stop the abuse of the funds earmarked for Disaster Management in the municipality”.

“It is quite clear that the removal of De Bruyn is designed to enable the looting to continue.”

In the statement, Simmers said the FF+ supported the ANC, PA and Good in voting De Bruyn out of office.

Simmers called on the Good party to “act with determination” against councillor John Michels “for violating due process in bringing the motion to the council behind the backs of the DA and other coalition partners”.

“This was a serious violation of due process, and we will do what is necessary to make the municipality abide by the proper rules of order,” said Simmers.

However, Good secretary-general Brett Herron maintained that the party’s councillors voted for De Bruyn.

“Our councillors insist that they voted for the DA candidate as mayor, but that it was members of the DA who supported his removal. If any of our councillors broke the party’s position on this coalition then they will find their membership terminated. Our constitution is clear on that.

“What happened today was an act of bad faith and we will not tolerate it,” said Herron.

Speaking to Daily Maverick on Monday evening, Simmers said the DA-Good-SRWP coalition in Theewaterskloof was ended by Michels’ actions. He said “no DA councillor voted in favour of [the motion of no confidence]” – Simmers labelled the allegation as “fabricated”.

But, when Daily Maverick asked Herron whether the DA-Good working arrangement in Theewaterskloof was now over, he responded: “Not necessarily.”

“The party has a position on this coalition. Individual councillors represent the party and not themselves. If our councillors acted without a mandate we will remove them. Our national leadership will discuss and resolve on this later [on Monday night].”

GLU the way forward?

ANC Western Cape spokesperson Muhammad Khalid Sayed said the party was “pleased with the new developments”.

“The DA takeover was similar to a coup and they destabilised governance in the short period they were in charge,” he said.

Following the formation of a Government of National Unity, the Western Cape is seeing the rise of Governments of Local Unity (GLU), Daily Maverick’s Velani Ludidi reported.

The ANC and FF+ in the province have backed the GLU, while the DA – which governs most of the province – is opposed to the new arrangement and is fighting to keep eight councils from forming GLUs.

Speaking to Daily Maverick on Monday, the FF+ Western Cape leader Corné Mulder said the party would be open to a GLU with the DA in Theewaterskloof.

“I think it is very important that we bring stability to [Theewaterskloof Local Municipality] in order to secure effective service delivery and economic growth. A GLU that includes the DA would be the right way to go,” said Mulder. DM

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

South Africa