ANC paper plots DA’s Tshwane downfall
• Strategy document allegedly presented at party’s regional lekgotla
The ANC in Tshwane wants to take back the capital city by ensuring it “exploits” situations that would “accelerate the toppling” of the DA, forcing it to be placed under administration.
This is according to a strategy and tactics document seen by Business Day that was allegedly presented at the ANC’s regional lekgotla in Erasmia, Pretoria, two months after the August local government elections.
It is not clear whether the ANC in Tshwane has adopted the stance suggested in the document. ANC Tshwane spokesman Teboho Joala claimed the document had been doctored and contained “elements” not seen before.
He said the party would one day retake control of Tshwane, but not through underhand tactics. “We’re not hiding our objectives, but it will be done through proper, above board democratic processes.”
The new administration has had a torrid time since taking office, enduring land invasions and violent council disruptions.
The ANC in Tshwane wants to take back the city from the DA by ensuring that it “exploits” situations that would “accelerate the toppling” of the party in the municipality, forcing it to be placed under administration.
This is according to a strategy and tactics document seen by Business Day that was allegedly presented at the ANC’s regional lekgotla in Erasmia, Pretoria, two months after the August local government elections.
The document is said to have been compiled by ANC councillor Johnny Mohlala and former DA chief whip in the Tshwane council Derek Fleming. Fleming left the ANC to join the DA but defected back to the governing party in August 2013.
It is not clear whether the ANC in Tshwane adopted the stance taken in the document.
ANC Tshwane spokesman Teboho Joala did not want to comment on the document but said he had seen a copy, which was sent to some journalists. He claimed that it had been doctored and contained “elements” not seen before.
He said the party would one day retake control of Tshwane but not through underhand tactics. “We’re not hiding our objectives, but it will be done through proper, above-board democratic processes…. We are not going to do anything to undermine the very principles the ANC was founded on.”
The ANC lost Tshwane to the DA, which took control with the help of the EFF and a coalition with four smaller parties.
The new administration has had a torrid time since taking office in August. First there were land invasions and then violent disruptions in council.
DA mayor Solly Msimanga has met Gauteng co-operative governance MEC Paul Mashatile, who is also the ANC chairman in the province, to discuss the disruptions.
Msimanga told Business Day he was aware of the document.
“What is concerning is their reliance on Paul Mashatile to assist... to destabilise [the municipality],” he said.
According to the document, the ANC hopes the DA administration will fail to get the EFF on its side when it came to passing the municipal budget. “Discerning the end game for the DA minority regime will come when they fail to pass a budget — a necessary no-confidence motion ensues — given the balance of relative party strengths, the EFF may not join the ANC in securing control of council,” the party said. In that instance, Mashatile would need to intervene, it added.
The ANC said the council could “stumble” through its first budget but it was not hopeful that it could pass the second. It had ambitions of removing the DA before the 2019 election.
According to the proposed resolutions in the document the ANC would, among other things, shut down DA items introduced in council, challenge the moral and legal basis of these tabled items and wherever practicable refer matters for dispute resolution to Mashatile.