The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in KwaZulu-Natal have signed what they call a service delivery pact in Durban.
Leaders of both parties say their agreement is mainly aimed at addressing service delivery in municipalities in the province. The parties have called the agreement ‘historic’ following six months of work behind the scenes.
Both parties will work closely with councils where they are in partnership in hung municipalities.
The DA and IFP leaders say their working arrangement approach had yielded results in by-elections in the province.
IFP KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson, Thami Ntuli, says: “The Democratic Alliance and Inkatha Freedom Party in KwaZulu-Natal have come together to sign a historic service delivery pact between the two parties this agreement which has been six months in the making and follows from our successful cooperation in by-elections to win ward from the ANC. We will ensure that where each party holds seats in a hung municipality, we will work together to improve service delivery and better the lives of resident. The IFP and the DA share strong commitments. We are also parties of government that govern in various municipalities in the country.”
DA leader in the province, Francois Rodgers, says their agreement with the IFP will bring stability in some of the hung municipalities.
“There can be no doubt that the ANC has wrecked local government across KwaZulu-Natal and it is up to the IFP and the Democratic Alliance to restore faith and trust in the political process. That is why we believe we are able to come together and put the interests of the citizens of this province first. This shared agreement is a major turning point in our province and will bring much needed stability to a number of municipalities where the IFP and DA work together. Some of the key objectives of this agreement include ensuring that communities have access to basic service delivery.”
