Langeberg coalition ends

Dear Editor

The coalition in Langeberg between the DA and the Freedom Front Plus has been dissolved.

This follows a dispute that the DA lodged against the Freedom Front Plus as a result of their refusal to support the coalition’s budget in the Council on 30 May 2024.

This constitutes a material breach of the coalition agreement, and contributed significantly to the breakdown of trust between the parties.

In all coalitions, partners support the budget. Failure to do so means that the municipality grinds to a halt and service delivery comes to an end. This is why this type of breach is considered so serious.

Coalition partners are together in government and cannot risk collapsing a municipality.

This action was all the more egregious given that all coalition partners had signalled support for the budget at a workshop held a week before the Council meeting.

This issue was the final straw that broke the camel’s back in the deteriorating relationship between the DA and the Freedom Front Plus in Langeberg. When trust breaks down to that extent, it makes stable government impossible. A previous meeting between the parties to resolve the distrust saw no improvement

The situation between the former coalition partners was aggravated by the fact that the Freedom Front Deputy Mayor had been involved in discussions the ANC behind the scenes. Information reached us that the Freedom Front Plus was planning to join forces with the ANC to pass a motion against the DA Mayor in the same way they recently did in Oudtshoorn.

The DA is committed to stable coalitions with reliable partners. Unfortunately the Freedom Front Plus in Oudtshoorn and Langeberg have not lived up to this requirement.

Regards

Tertuis Simmers
A Western Cape Leader