The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has withdrawn its two councillors from the DA-led coalition running the Knysna municipality, potentially threatening its control of the Garden Route town
The resignation of Waleed Grootboom, who stepped down as the political head of community services, was announced on the municipality’s Facebook page on Thursday.
PA councillor Beauty Charlie also withdrew from the coalition.
The decision was made in line with a broader move by the PA to withdraw from all coalition arrangements with the DA in the Western Cape.
The decision was taken shortly after comments reportedly made by the DA’s interim Western Cape leader, Tertius Simmers, about PA leader Gayton McKenzie.
“What we’ve been hearing, which one can’t confirm yet, is literally not democracy in action — it’s political thuggery in action,” Simmers reportedly said.
“The sad thing is, monitoring since [McKenzie] has become [Central Karoo] district mayor, I don’t think the PA leader has a concept of what local government is,” News24 quoted him as saying.
The loss of the two PA seats in Knysna has raised questions about the sustainability of the DA-led coalition.
The DA has eight seats in the council, the ANC has seven, the Knysna Independent Movement two, and the EFF and Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (which votes with the ANC) one each.
The DA-led coalition has a combined 10 seats in the council with the Knysna Independent Movement, but the coalition is supported intermittently by the EFF.
The PA joined the DA coalition in February, a day after it withdrew support for motions of no confidence against Knysna’s top political leadership, including mayor Levael Davis.
Davis said on Facebook: “I would like to thank Grootboom for his positive contributions to the mayoral committee and for serving the greater Knysna people with passion.
“I wish him well with his tenure in council.”
McKenzie said the reason for the PA’s withdrawal from coalition arrangements with the DA in the Western Cape was that the party wanted the ANC to remove the PA from other coalition arrangements.
“We confirmed with the ANC that they wanted the ANC to kick out the PA and install the DA.
“I must admit that we were shocked because we thought that we had a good working relationship but Simmers still wishes to work with ANC at our expense,” he said.
“I am glad that the ANC told Simmers to go to hell — such back-stabbing behaviour deserves such responses.
“We will never do that to any of our coalition partners.
“We shall inform them when we are unhappy and if we can’t find a solution we shall leave amicably but will never do back-room deals.”
Simmers said he was unhappy about the PA’s decision and denied calling the party a bunch of thugs.
“I think that service delivery is better when councillors work together,” he said.
“The media reports were misleading, to say the least.
“More so than others, politicians should equip themselves not to be fooled by hearsay and by sound bites without context.”
Simmers said he had assured McKenzie of his support on April 22.
“I stand by my commitment to stable good governance with accountability and compliance with legislation and regulations to improve lives continuously and sustainably, irrespective of political flags,” he said.
“I remain willing and keen to take hands with Gayton in this quest.”
PA national chair Marlon Daniels said the party’s exit from the coalition agreements had been discussed before the comments made by Simmers.
“We are not a reactionary party.
“We have been nice and kind to every party in this country,” Daniels said.
He said PA councillors had frequently complained about being in a DA coalition because they felt like “lapdogs”.
“They say the DA calls [them] very [rudely] as if they won an outright majority.
Daniels said the party would remove itself from the Matzikama council in the Western Cape, but would remain in the ruling coalitions in the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni councils.
“We are in coalition with the DA in other metros and other parties whom we have impeccable relationships with,” he said.
Asked if the party would try to form a new coalition government in Knysna, Daniels said: “I am definitely in talks with other parties.”
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