EFF tells Ehrenreich it will never form coalition with ANC in Western Cape

09 March 2016 - 18:51 By Joann Floris
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The Economic Freedom Fighters in the Western Cape on Wednesday dashed any hopes the provincial African National Congress might have harboured that the parties could form a coalition to assume political power in the province.

"We will not go into coalition with anybody. We will stand on our own feet and fight the battle for our people," EFF provincial chairperson Bernard Joseph told the ANC's Tony Ehrenreich during a panel discussion on the upcoming local government elections. 

Ehrenreich, who is also Cosatu's provincial secretary, said during the discussion on RSG, as part of the Woordfees, that he believed the EFF should work with them to make sure the land which is "fraudulently held by farmers in Stellenbosch", was put back in the hands of its rightful owners.

"People of Stellenbosch, we are coming for you," Joseph warned. All those farmers with 99-year leases, we want it changed and every lease must be registered with the deeds office."

He went on: "Former president Marais Steyn, your grandson must know – we are coming!"

The third member of the panel, Cape Town Mayor and DA member Patricia de Lille, had to defend claims by Ehrenreich and Joseph that too little, or nothing, was being done for the poor in the province.

She said more than 70% of the City's money was allocated to service the poor.

"In fact, Treasury last year cautioned us that we are giving away too much free services. Therefore, I don't take claims that the poor are being neglected seriously. The opposition must stop using this as a way to divide people."

'Just speak the truth. God loves the truth'

Ehrenreich did not miss a beat. "Look at the facts. The mayor has a meeting with the developers in Camps Bay about how best to develop the area to keep other out. We have been trying so long for the development of integrated, mixed housing developments but nothing will come of it.

"But then she wears a mask when she goes to visit the poorest of the poor. What does this say about what she thinks of poor people?"

Joseph said that in the Western Cape one had only to look at how differently white and back issues were tackled.

"The mayor will rather establish an eviction unit to remove people from their homes like animals from a kraal, than assist them.

"And to the ANC I want to say, the wealth moved from white to a black minority? There is a big surprise waiting for you at the polls."

Neither the DA nor the EFF had any qualms in drawing on the Bible and God to aid their cause.

"Just speak the truth. God loves the truth," De Lille said after she accused opposition parties of being economical with the truth.

To which Joseph replied: "Read Colossian 3 verse  9 – do not lie to one another."

Warming to the biblical theme, he continued: "We want to be like a Moses to the people of South Africa. We want to tell, especially the coloured people of the Western Cape, that the DA is not the political party for you."

Ehrenreich said De Lille's claims that the ANC was busy with a conspiracy to lure away DA councillors with the promise of a bigger pension was yet another way to instill fear in the hearts of people.

"There are many divisions, but we must accept our fundamental differences. That however requires a level of honesty," he said.

Source: News24

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