My home town is back where it belongs‚ says De Lille

12 August 2016 - 15:24 By Aphiwe Deklerk

The Democratic Alliance's Patricia de Lille expressed delight on Friday after her party mastered a coalition agreement that snatched her birthplace - the Karoo town of Beaufort West - from ANC rule. De Lille‚ who was officially re-elected as mayor of Cape Town on Thursday‚ told reporters that she was overjoyed. “My poor birthplace was in a mess. It was filthy‚ with potholes.” She was addressing the media at her party’s head office in Cape Town after the DA‚ the Karoo Gemeenskap Party (KGP)‚ the Karoo Democratic Force (KDF) and the Karoo Ontwikkelings Party (KOP) signed a deal that will see them form a coalition to govern four municipalities in the central Karoo. De Lille said there was a visible difference between DA-run municipalities in the province and the previously ANC-run Beaufort West.“I am overjoyed‚ I am very happy. It’s my birthplace and I am sure we are going to work together‚” she said.The deal signed by the four parties will see the DA’s Djorge Malooi taking over as mayor of Beaufort West‚ replacing the ANC's Truman Prince. The DA will also hold the deputy mayor and council speaker positions.In Prince Albert‚ the KGP’s Goliath Lottering will be the mayor‚ with the DA taking the deputy mayor and speaker positions.The DA gave the Laingsburg mayoral position to Aubrey Marthinus from the KOP and opted to take the deputy mayor and speaker positions.In the Central Karoo District Municipality‚ Noel Constable from the KDF will become mayor while the deputy mayor and speaker positions will go to KGP councillors.Lottering said the agreement marked the end of ANC corruption in the central Karoo. “Truman’s ANC is no more. ANC corruption is now a thing of the past‚” he said.De Lille said her party has also signed an agreement with an independent candidate to govern Knysna‚ while they formed a coalition with the Freedom Front Plus to rule Hessequa.In Witzenberg Municipality‚ the DA will govern with the Congress of the People.In Bito‚ De Lille said‚ her party had approached the electoral court to contest the outcome of the election after an independent candidate sided with the ANC to form a coalition government.The DA is contesting the outcome of the election after it lost by 41 votes...

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