Cederberg coalition agreement sealed between DA, FF Plus and residents' association

• The DA, FF Plus and Cederberg First Residents Association have concluded a coalition agreement for the Cederberg Municipality in the Western Cape.
• This is the first coalition agreement for a hung council in the province.
• Cederberg is one of several hung councils in the Western Cape.
• The position of mayor will go to the Cederberg First Residents Association and the deputy mayor position to the FF Plus.

The first coalition agreement for a hung municipality in the Western Cape after last week's municipal elections has been concluded between the DA, Freedom Front Plus and the Cederberg First Residents Association.

The three partners signed off on the agreement to govern the Cederberg Municipality for the next five years.

The municipality was previously governed by the ANC.

The Freedom Front Plus grew its support in the area and gained one seat, while the new independent political association Cederberg First Residents Association gained three seats.

With their combined six seats, the municipality will be governed through a coalition.

Freedom Front Plus MP Wouter Wessels told News24 the coalition agreement was signed in the Western Cape on Thursday.

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According to the agreement, the position of mayor will go to the Cederberg First Residents Association while the Freedom Front Plus will get the deputy mayor position, Wessels said.

"We successfully negotiated a coalition agreement in Cederberg at this stage. We played a role there, along with the DA... There are a few other parts of the agreements that have not been made public yet," Wessels said.

Dr Ruben Richards, a well-known resident of the area and former deputy director-general of the Scorpions, ran as an independent candidate in the elections.

He was the association's pick for mayor.

DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille, who played a key role in the DA's coalition talks, tweeted on Friday that the party had concluded its first coalition council in the Western Cape.

She said the agreement was historic because it incorporated lessons learnt from past agreements, including successes and failures.

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