The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Oudtshoorn expressed disappointment that the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) “placed their party interest above the residents of the Karoo town” after the FF Plus's Johannes Allers was elected mayor and the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) Jongilizwe Tyatya was elected deputy mayor during a special council meeting on Thursday. 

This after the FF+ joined the ANC’s motion of no confidence against Mayor Chris Macpherson.

“In a move that's propelled by unfiltered retribution and ambition, the FF+ now sits at the head of a new dodgy coalition with former Speaker Johannes Allers elected as the new mayor,” said DA Constituency Head for Oudtshoorn Mark Burke.

He described the FF+ as climbing “into bed with the ANC, at an unspeakable cost” to the residents of Oudtshoorn.

“All of this will only result in one thing - the further demise of the historic town of Oudtshoorn. Residents will be faced with a lack of service delivery and constant instability,” he said.

He added that one of the threats emanating from Oudtshoorn was that this was the prelude for more “punishment” of other functional DA-run municipalities.

All while the FF+ campaigned for the last year on being a "reliable partner" to the DA, he noted.

Burke said the DA would continue to fight for the wellbeing of Oudtshoorn residents and would hold the new “shameless” FF+-led coalition to account.