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Articles: DA to nurture pact with Cape allies

Posted by admin on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 09:57 AM

CAPE TOWN — The priority for newly elected Cape Town mayor Helen Zille in the coming weeks will be to consolidate the working agreement forged with her political allies, she said yesterday.
Linda Ensor

Addressing a joyous crowd of Democratic Alliance (DA) MPs, MPLs, councillors and party workers following her election this week to the hotly contested post of mayor, Zille highlighted the fragility of the co-operation pact governing the city. The pact includes the DA, the Freedom Front Plus, the African Christian Democratic Party, the United Democratic Movement, the African Muslim Party, the United Independent Front and the Universal Party, all of whose interests have to be forged into a common political platform. Zille said she had no doubt the opposition African National Congress (ANC) was plotting a no-confidence vote in her leadership and would be intensively wooing coalition members to desert. Even in the build-up to the final vote for the mayor these members had come under intense pressure, she said. Zille said the ANC had patronage and plenty of “gravy” to offer potential deserters. The big test would come in 18 months’ time during the next local government floor-crossing period. “There is no time to lose to get down to work,” she told the excited crowd gathered in a parliamentary dining room to celebrate the party’s success. In an interview, Zille was careful to respect the binding agreement which the DA has reached with other members of the alliance. She said any decision on the future of Cape Town city manager Wallace Mgoqi would be taken jointly. The DA accuses Mgoqi of campaigning for the ANC.

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