Hung Cederberg municipality to change hands after CE forms new partnership with ANC

CAPE TOWN - The hung municipality of the Cederberg in the Western Cape is set to change political hands, with the residents’ association, Cederberg Eerste (CE), using its one-seat majority to form a new partnership with the African National Congress (ANC).

With the CE's alliance with the Democratic Alliance (DA) having fallen apart, the new political partners have announced a government of local unity will be formed to govern the municipality which includes the towns of Clanwilliam and Citrusdal.

But the DA is crying foul, saying it believes the new alliance is a major threat to open, honest and transparent service delivery.

With four seats, Cederberg Eerste will join forces with the ANC's two seats to take charge of the Cederberg municipality.

ANC Western Cape spokesperson, Khalid Sayed, said that a statement of intent was signed to jointly govern as a government of local unity (GLU). 

He said the irreconcilable differences in the partnership the CE had with the DA which has three seats, and the Freedom Front Plus, which has one, has led to a breakdown in cooperation, created dysfunction in the council and which is threatening service delivery.

"Both the ANC and the CE pledge to work tirelessly in the interest of the community guided by the voices of voters and the principles of unity and inclusivity."

While Sayed said that the two parties were open to include other political parties in their GLU, DA provincial leader, Tertius Simmers, was not enthused.

He said that this new partnership was a political ploy by power-hungry politicians to place their own needs above those of residents.