The fragile, fickle nature of coalition politics

Dear DM168 readers,

As I write this, my beloved city Tshwane is arrested by chaos and mayhem in its council chambers. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is leading an ANC march to City Hall, very determined to take the administrative capital back into the hands of the governing party, after it lost the support of voters in 2016.

Tshwane is a good example of how fragile and fickle coalition politics is. Since it took over from the ANC in 2016, the DA-led coalition has stumbled from one crisis to another, quickly learning that there is no loyalty among thieves or opposition councillors.

Action SA, a partner in the DA-led multiparty coalition, is opening a criminal case against City of Tshwane councillors who allegedly offered a R2-million bribe to an ActionSA councillor for them to vote in favour of the fake rehabilitated Dr Murunwa Makwarela as mayor.

And earlier this week, the DA lived up to its Desperate Alternative label when it got its party members to number their ballot papers in a bid to weed out defectors who were either bribed or promised positions to vote against the DA coalition candidate for Speaker. In the end the IEC declared the 69 DA votes spoilt, which ushered in an ATM councillor, Mncedi Ndzwanana, as Speaker. Now that’s an own goal.

At the time of deadline, I don’t know who our new mayor is, but I do know that all of us residents of Tshwane have had a wake-up call to start putting pressure on these clowns to do what they were voted to do – serve residents and get the city back in shape.

In all these shenanigans, the wily hand of the EFF can be clearly seen. Julius Malema’s Red Berets first kicked out the ANC by voting DA mayors and then helped to kick out the DA by joining the ANC coalitions in Joburg, Ekurhuleni and now Tshwane.

Our lead story this week is an analysis of the EFF by Queenin Masuabi. The party is not only planning to shut down the country on Monday, 20 March, but it is also pushing for our indecisive President Cyril Ramaphosa to go and play with his Ankole cattle and buffalo.

A treat for those who are scrambling for crumbs of hope is an inspiring story by Estelle Ellis, Hoseya Jubase, Bheki Simelane, Tamsin Metelerkamp and Takudzwa Pongweni. These reporters braved the public hospital picket lines where Nehawu strikers were preventing patients from being treated. They found many ordinary SA heroes who emerged to ensure hospitals were clean and patients were cared for.

Don’t forget to send me your suggestions of what could be done to make SA a better place for all: heather@dailymaverick.co.za