DA in the dark on issues behind EFF council boycott

The DA’s co-governing ally, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is not holding them hostage in council as they have not made any formal demands, DA chief whip James Selfe says.

Following the EFF’s no-show at Tshwane and Johannesburg council meetings last week, Selfe said he was unsure of what the EFF wanted.

The discord started when United Democratic Movement councillor and Nelson Mandela Bay deputy mayor, Mongameli Bobani, was sacked in a motion of no confidence last month. The EFF described it as a “bullying tactic” by the DA, choosing to support the UDM despite allegations against Bobani of corruption and voting with the ANC.

“[If they want Bobani reinstated], they haven’t expressed it. If so, it would be strange, because we have a commitment from them to us to eradicate corruption,” said Selfe.

On Saturday, the EFF announced they would not meet with the DA, as they were “not in a coalition” and did not owe their ally “any explanation whatsoever”. The party said the boycott was to show the DA it could not govern municipalities alone.

Selfe said: “We have written to them to request a meeting to discuss whatever issues they might have, but they have not responded.”

Due to the absence of the EFF, the Tshwane council failed to pass a motion to auction the mayoral mansion and the Johannesburg metro could not pass one to receive R22.5 million to educate communities on HIV/ Aids.