In keeping with the DA’s commitment to putting together governments that give effect to the majority of the electorates’ rejection of the ANC and its management of local government; we today avail our support for the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal’s hung municipalities.

This, we believe, will be the solution to establishing well-governed municipalities that are able to create jobs, deliver better services and bring years of corruption to a complete stop given the unique electoral outcomes earlier this month.

Following the results of the 03 August Local Government elections where very few parties received an outright majority in municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, both the Inkatha Freedom Party and Democratic Alliance sat to put the best interests of the people first. The discussions were not around a coalition government but rather one rooted in the better service delivery for the people of KwaZulu-Natal.

Considering the unique electoral outcomes the DA entered into negotiations with the IFP where it was agreed that the DA would support IFP-led governments in certain municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal. In the interests of rolling-out service delivery the DA’s provincial structures felt it best to support the IFP in councils they were to lead in exchange for their support in the Gauteng Metro’s and elsewhere in the country where their support would help us affect the much needed change.

In so doing developments will be monitored every six months with respect of the terms agreed to by both parties in KwaZulu-Natal.

It must be made clear that these municipalities will be governed by the IFP and the DA’s role will be to support it in the decision-making process which better service delivery being at the apex of our agenda.

The DA acknowledges that such agreements are engineered and sustained through trust and that consensus on any matter needs to be reached relating to the administrations and that any misunderstandings or disagreements are dealt with appropriately, and the co-governance agreement document spells those steps clearly.

To all our councillors in the respective municipalities: your responsibility is to continue the good work and to put the people of these municipalities first and deliver on the ‘DA Difference’ that will move these municipalities forward again.

If we honour the commitments we made to the South Africa public in our manifestos, South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal will indeed have a good story to tell.

The people have trusted our respective political homes with their votes; we have committed to a clean and responsive government for all. Let us have a great story to tell tomorrow about the decisions taken today.