Durban - A coalition government in KwaZulu-Natal would ensure that no single party had too much power and reduce the level of arrogance in the government, DA provincial leader Zwakele Mncwango said.
Mncwango was speaking on the sidelines of a media briefing on land reform on Thursday, before next week’s public hearings in the province.
“Different parties have different ideologies and policy views, but when you have a single party in power it gives them too much influence.
“We see that now where people can make attempts to change the constitution. When parties start off, they listen to people but when they receive the majority of votes they become arrogant.”
In KZN, the party is aiming to reduce the ANC vote to below 50% and then run the province through a coalition agreement with the EFF, IFP and NFP.
The DA’s national leader, Mmusi Maimane, said this week coalitions in Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay were still solid, despite Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba’s budget being rejected twice before it was finally passed, and mayor Athol Trollip’s budget being rejected until the African Independent Congress (who are in a coalition with the ANC in Ekurhuleni Metro) intervened and allowed it to be passed.
Mncwango said when parties entered into a coalition they looked at what was common. “In Cape Town, Helen (Zille) took over a coalition government with seven political parties. It was a complex situation. What was common is that they understood the history of the ANC in power and they all wanted clean governance.
“Look at our metros, we have different views from the EFF and other parties but what are the things we have in common?
“We must fight corruption, we must provide people with services and we pass budgets on the basis of what we want to achieve. And ensuring that those who are corrupt are prosecuted - that’s what we are doing and we are succeeding.
“It is not the DA alone, we are succeeding because of our co-operation with other parties.
Mncwango said co-operation between coalition parties ensured that even minorities have a voice in the government.
“In KZN, we are not in a coalition with the IFP, but we are in co-governance with them.
“For us to pass their budget we must interrogate their budget. No relationship is perfect, but it is possible to make it work in KZN as long as we agree on some things.”
on Thursday, Mncwango announced that the party had written to the SA Human Rights Commission regarding the minister of Rural Development and Land Reform “and requesting an investigation into the lack of protection for South Africans with insecure land rights”.
The complaint relates to the more than two decades the ANC-led government has failed to implement Section 25 (6) of the constitution, leaving millions living on communal land without legal tenure.