Coalition Watch: GOOD Party opts to assume opposition seat in hung councils

The leadership of the GOOD party decided that the party would not enter any local government coalitions. The party, which was formed less than three years ago, won 45 council seats in four provinces in the 2021 Local Government Elections, including 12 municipalities where there was no outright winner.

GOOD PARTY INTENDS TO BE ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ OPPOSITION

Secretary-General Brett Heron – who was the mayoral candidate in the City of Cape Town – said the GOOD National Management Committee (NMC) considered several approaches to form coalitions with other political parties in hung municipalities.

However, in the end, the NMC concluded that the best way to serve its supporters and the residents would be by acting as a “constructive” opposition party instead of forming part of a coalition government.

“GOOD is one of a handful of newer political parties, arrogantly dismissed by some as non-entities, which combined to give both the ANC and the DA bloody noses in the local government elections – including in the City of Cape Town where the DA majority was slashed by 8%.

“We have demonstrated that the support we received was not wasted and we will work hard and constructively to earn every single vote we received,” said Heron.

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Heron, who has been one of the loudest opposition voices to the DA in Cape Town, said the party’s objective is to persuade more voters to support GOOD’s fight for spatial, social, economic and environmental justice. “We want to continue to grow and to continue to challenge the decaying old parties who have betrayed those they have been elected to serve.”