IFP still stands by DA

JOBURG METRO: NOT RULING OUT FUTURE COOPERATION WITH ANC

At present DA-IFP coalition agreement holds despite mayor Mashaba’s departure.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in Gauteng says it’s still committed to its coalition agreement with the Democratic Alliance (DA) to govern the City of Joburg, despite Mashaba’s resignation.

Inkatha Freedom Party Gauteng leader Bonginkosi Dhlamini said Mashaba’s resignation should not stop the machinery of the metro or service delivery.

He also said the IFP stood by the agreement they entered into in 2016 with the DA and other political parties in Johannesburg to run the metro government via a coalition partnership.

“We will continue to work with the DA.

“There is no rush at this point to rethink our cooperation with them,” Dhlamini said.

While Dhlamini refused to speculate about what would happen in future, he said the IFP would not dismiss the possibility of future cooperation with the ANC.

New IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa is known to prefer dialogue to an oppositional approach to the ANC.

Last August, the ANC tried to lobby the party to support its motion of no confidence in Mashaba.

The plan to oust Mashaba collapsed and was abandoned when the IFP refused to support the motion.

But the ANC has not given up on the party and the IFP provincial leader confirmed that the ANC still wanted his party to come onto its side in the council.

It is believed that with Mashaba having quit, the talks between the two parties could intensify.

This comes amid reports that the flip-flopping Economic Freedom Fighters, which has been a