Pretoria - DA leader Mmusi Maimane says his party will not give in to the demand by the EFF to take over the governance of the City of Tshwane.
Maimane made the comment almost a month after EFF leader Julius Malema said his party wanted to formally partner in governing Tshwane and Johannesburg municipalities.
The EFF is eyeing mayorship in Tshwane and also wants to play a role in the mayoral committee in the City of Johannesburg.
The DA and EFF don’t have a formal coalition and the EFF vote with the DA on an issue-by-issue basis.
Briefing the media on the achievements by DA-led governments in Parliament, Maimane said his party had a formal agreement with Cope, the ACDP and Freedom Front Plus.
“We’ve a written agreement and we’ve signed it. Those parties work together. That position hasn’t changed,” he said.
Maimane confirmed that the EFF had raised the issue of wanting to govern Tshwane. “They certainly put it to us. We’ve gone out to say we have a formal agreement with a number of parties on a number of principles. Those principles are a market- based economy, building a capable state, eradicating corruption, a non- racial future and ultimately ensuring that we uphold the rule of law.”
He said the DA hadn’t deviated from the principles that underpinned their agreement with coalition partners. Maimane said his party would soon meet with coalition partners to discuss the matter raised by the EFF.