'Interesting': EFF Pass Up Vote Resulting in Knysna Municipality Failing to Elect Speaker

• The Knysna Municipal Council failed to elect a speaker during its council meeting on Tuesday
• The EFF's decision to abstain from the vote ensured that proceedings to elect a Speaker were deadlocked
• The meeting to elect the Speaker will reconvene in sevens days, where it is hoped there will be a way forward

KNYSNA - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) ceased to vote at a council meeting to elect a Speaker at the Knysna municipal council on Monday.

According to News24, the party's failure to participate comes as parties dispute the formation of coalition governments in hung councils across the country.

Holding its first council meeting after the local government elections, proceedings to elect a Speaker were deadlocked when the EFF abstained from voting.

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Dion George, the Knysna municipal manager and Democratic Alliance (DA) constituency head, said the meeting to elect the Speaker would have to reconvene in a week.

However, should the council again fail to elect a chair, it would do so by tossing a coin, as dictated by the legislation.

EFF adverse to giving ANC support

The EFF's lone councillor Neil Louw said the party would abstain from taking part in the election due to being a disciplined member of the organisation.

Briefly News has it on good authority that at a media briefing on Tuesday, EFF leader Julius Malema said his party, whose negotiations for a coalition with the ANC broke down, would not vote for any candidate put forward by the ruling party.

At the council meeting, reports suggest the DA, which received eight seats in the municipal council following the elections, according to EWN, nominated Julie Lopes, while the ANC put Mncedisi Skosana forward as its candidate for the position.

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Failed attempts to form a coalition

Both candidates received 10 votes amid a secret ballot. George implored parties that had voted with the ANC to vote in the best interests of the municipality and not for personal gain.

"The DA has attempted to establish a way forward by engaging with other parties to form a working coalition," said George.

"We regret that we were unable to meet the demands of a one-seat party whose conditions would result in a bankrupt municipality.

'Therefore, it seems likely that Knysna will continue to be governed by a corrupt ANC coalition."

Politic observers critical online

Keen observers on social media shared their input on the debacle. Briefly News unearths all of the mixed reactions below.

@Sydney Lebea wrote:

"Coalition governments are not for boys. They require patience and tolerance."

@Raesibe Gail Monama said:

"That's what happens when you go around saying you can't work with certain structures. When you need them they will continue with what you asked for. These are egotistic times for those who feel sidelined."

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@Liberty Nhlapo added:

"Lol.You cant blame the EFF – how do you vote with the people who don't want to work with you? ActionsSA should help them."

EFF rules out forming coalition with the ANC, cccuses party of acting in bad faith

In related news, Briefly News recently reported that the coalition talks between the EFF and ANC ended with the Red Berets accusing the ruling party of negotiating in bad faith.

The Red Berets held a press conference at their head office in Johannesburg to update South Africans on how coalition talks have been going thus far.

Malema says the ANC sent junior party members to meet with the EFF's senior officials to negotiate.

When the junior officials failed to adequately negotiate with the EFF, the ANC's treasurer-general Paul Mashatile and Malema said he is not interested in talking to Mashatile, according to News24.

He added that the ANC wanted to rush into discussions about the sharing of power instead of making any commitments to the EFF's coalition demands.

Source: Briefly News