Anna Majavu

Anna Majavu

The ANC has distanced itself from a move by Cosatu in Western Cape calling on the DA to form a coalition government or face the wrath of the workers.

The DA, which won an outright majority of 51,5 percent in the province, has said it will rule Western Cape itself, but with help from "talented individuals" from other parties.

The ANC has won 32,86 percent of the provincial vote, the ID 4,49 percent and Cope 9,06 percent.

Yesterday Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich threatened to apply to Nedlac for permission to strike if the DA refused to form a coalition with "all of the major parties of the Western Cape".

"We want to remind the DA that they do not represent 48 percent of the electorate. Good governance dictates that the African communities are brought into government," said Ehrenreich.

"Presently, the parties' support in the province is divided along racial lines, and so to exclude any significant political party would be to exclude all of the people who support that party."

The call amounts to Cosatu wanting the ANC to become part of the coalition government.

However, ANC provincial spokesperson Garth Strachan said: "Cosatu has the right to express their views but under the Constitution, the DA is entitled to form a government."

Cope has also come out in defence of the DA, saying parties only needed a simple majority to govern.

ID president Patricia de Lille said forcing the DA to form a coalition amounted to "parties interfering with the elections results".

Human Science Research Council senior research specialist Dr Mcebisi Ndletyana said: "Politically, I don't see the DA and ANC governing together. The DA would want to take sole credit for whatever improvements it may make so that they can show the electorate what they are capable of."