EFF wants to have a mayor in Tshwane, help to govern Joburg

EFF leader Julius Malema said on Thursday that his party was in negotiations with the DA to formally partner in governing Tshwane and Johannesburg.

Addressing a media conference at the party's head office in Johannesburg, Malema said his party wanted to take over the Tshwane mayorship.

He said the party would also join government in the City of Johannesburg as members of the mayoral committee (MMCs).

"This is a power-sharing ... We have already started talking to the DA. We are sharing power in Joburg, we are sharing power in Tshwane," said Malema.

He said the EFF would not be calling for a motion of no confidence in current mayor Stevens Mokgalapa of the DA, but would like to take over in a manner that is not chaotic.

"We are talking and we are not seeing any hostilities about a possibility of power sharing. We will have a mayor in Tshwane, the DA will have MMCs in Tshwane. They will have a mayor in Joburg, we will have MMCs in Joburg," said Malema.

"I am reluctant to remove the mayor of Joburg [Herman Mashaba]. You know why? Those ANC people hate Mashaba and I am very happy ... anyone that traumatises the ANC is my hero," he said.

He said Mokgalapa must have known that he would be a caretaker mayor in Tshwane until after the elections.

Malema could not say who the party would deploy as their mayor in Tshwane, but said it would be an EFF leader based in that municipality.