JOHANNESBURG - The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) says coalition government is likely to remain a reality in the City of Johannesburg. Looking at the latest polls and statistics, no single political party is expected to secure an outright majority in council
FF Plus mayoral candidate Franco De Lange was speaking during an election town hall hosted by eNCA at Wits University on Sunday, where he commented on the principles needed to guide the FF Plus should the city end up in a coalition.
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According to De Lange, while some coalitions have worked in parts of Gauteng, some have not, leaving what he calls a ‘bad taste in the mouths of voters.
De Lange says a stable coalition agreement is needed to ensure political parties hold each other accountable, a role he believes the party has played.
“We've always tried to be the adult in the room. We've tried to keep all the political parties out of each other's hair,” he said. “It's been 10 years now that the Freedom Front, especially in the city of Joburg, has been part of coalitions and coalition negotiations. And we are really trying our best to be a stabilising factor. But you have to choose your partners very carefully.”
In a previous article published on eNCA, political analyst Ongama Mtimka painted a grim picture of the leadership in Johannesburg, which he claims has long been driven by patronage politics.
According to Mtimka, these patronage networks have become increasingly entrenched and are now a defining feature of coalition governments.
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The City’s revolving door of mayors has compounded the problem, crippled any form of long-term planning and delaying meaningful progress.
Since 2016, Johannesburg has had nine different mayors.
During that period, the city has seen repeated leadership changes because of resignations, motions of no confidence and legal challenges to appointments.
The consequences of these outcomes reflect on the city’s deteriorating financial position.