Deputy President Paul Mashatile says coalition governments should prioritise the people, service delivery and good governance.

He was speaking in Parliament on Thursday where he was answering oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on a range of issues related to government’s efforts to implement rapid response interventions in municipalities and plans to tackle crime.

The Deputy President said the state has faced a number of challenges at the local government level where there are coalitions.

“By defining the rules, procedures, and potential sanctions that would apply to political parties and independent councillors who govern together, we will ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in our political system,” said the Deputy President.

He said they were incorporating a framework which prioritises the people, service delivery, and good governance.

The Presidency convened a national dialogue in August, led by Deputy President Mashatile, to discuss creating a framework to prevent the instability caused by coalition governments.

“The political parties at the summit agreed that they want to go back to their constituencies to consult once more, and they are going to come back and give us feedback. And then we will be able to finalise the document.”

He announced that the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is the only political party that has already responded so far.

“We are awaiting other parties to do the same and then we'll finalise the document. So it’s a very comprehensive approach, because we're not doing it ad hoc. We're doing it for the future and to be able to ensure stable government throughout the country,” he explained, adding that legislation will follow.

Currently, South Africa has about 81 hung municipalities.

Source: South African Government News Agency