Afri-Forum has resorted to an online petition to protect the DA’s under fire City of Tshwane coalition government and Mayor Celliers Brink.
The Afrikaans pressure group said its campaign was aimed essentially at blocking the Economic Freedom Fighters from getting into government in the metro by working with the ANC, ActionSA and others if Brink is removed.
The group claims involvement of the EFF would spell disaster for residents of the capital and sought to convince all parties in the current DA-led administration to including ActionSA to agree to sacrifice everything to keep the red berets out of power.
“AfriForum kicks off campaign to keep Tshwane Metro out of the EFF’s hands* AfriForum kicked off a comprehensive campaign today to keep the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality out of the hands of an EFF-ANC coalition. This follows ActionSA’s announcement that it’s seriously considering siding with the ANC and the EFF to oust the Mayor, Cilliers Brink, and thereby destroy the DA-led multi-party coalition in the Metro. The public can put a stop to such a future by visiting the website and signing AfriForum’s petition. By signing the petition, an automatic letter will be sent to the leaders of ActionSA, DA, IVP, ACDP and VF+ to settle the disputes in the coalition as soon as possible,” said the group in a statement attributed to Ernest van Zyl, its Head of and signing AfriForum’s petition. By signing the petition, an automatic letter will be sent to the leaders of ActionSA, DA, IVP, ACDP and VF+ to settle the disputes in the coalition as soon as possible. The ANC tabled a motion of no confidence in Brink last week, which was to be put to a vote on Friday. However, the DA brought an urgent application in the Pretoria High Court to have the motion declared unlawful. This legal action caused the ANC to withdraw its motion, but with the promise that it would be back in 14 days with a new one. According to Ernst van Zyl, Head of Public Relations.
van Zyl was at pains to convince the coalition partners to stay.
“By signing the petition, an automatic letter will be sent to the leaders of ActionSA, DA, IVP, ACDP and VF+ to settle the disputes in the coalition as soon as possible,” he said.
The involvement of African-Forum comes as a key ally in current governing arrangement of Tshwane, ActionSA contemplates its future involvement with a review of its working relationship with the DA as opposed to a deal with the ANC, with whom they’re already working both in the City of Joburg and the Gauteng provincial government.
ActionSA National Chairperson Michael Beaumont briefed the media alongside spokesperson Lerato Ngobeni in Johannesburg reiterating the party’s insistence on undertaking a review of ties with the DA.
“I am raising the point because Action SA is part of this government and you need to take ownership of the outcomes of government good or bad and at the moment we find ourselves taking ownership of outcomes in the townships of Tshwane which are not positive outcomes and which generally residents are very concerned about how service delivery is moving backwards,” said Beaumont of the DA’s alleged refusal to channel municipal resources into black communities and its perceived defence of corruption by white owned businesses.
Accusing the other of manufacturing false narratives.
The controversial Afrikaner cultural group is a known interested party in the City of Tshwane having already entered into a clean up feud with the city’s DA-led coalition government which Brink counts as being among the success stories.
Meanwhile the EFF has had its leader dragged out of court has continued to mock Brink’s resistance, ironically likening it to then DA Mayor in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Athol Trollip who mounted a spirited resistance to stay on as Mayor but was removed from power screaming and kicking by a an ANC-EFF pack of parties.