DA casts early eye on 2019 coalitions

DA leader in Gauteng John Moodey says the party has started looking at possible coalitions after next year’s elections.

Speaking after the party’s federal council meeting in Johannesburg‚ Moodey said that internal discussions were being held in the party on three possible outcomes.

“We are looking at a scenario in which we are the governing party‚ in which we are a coalition and also an official opposition party. We’ve had experience on local government coalitions‚” said Moodey.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane admitted that managing coalitions was not easy.

“Coalitions are difficult‚ there are complicated issues but I think they are the future of SA. We have to be careful to get into managing the principles of the coalition‚ which is about saying we will never tolerate corruption in a coalition. When people come to a coalition they must stick to the principle of voting together and voting with the coalition [partners]‚” he said.

Maimane said that in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro one of the councillors had violated the principles of the coalition agreement.

“That’s why even the general [UDM leader Bantu Holomisa] has taken disciplinary action against the respective member‚ because he went ahead and voted with the ANC‚” said Maimane.

The DA entered into coalition governments in Tshwane‚ Nelson Mandela Bay and Johannesburg. These‚ however‚ have not been easy to manage.

In the 2019 elections‚ the DA wants to retain the Western Cape and to be the governing party in the Northern Cape and in Gauteng.