The Western Cape Provincial Parliament in Wale Street.
Although opposition parties support in principle the increase in the number of seats in the Western Cape legislature, they want a consensus to be reached and to prioritise the needs of the people amid the high cost of living.
The parties made this known when the report of the Standing Committee on Premier and Constitutional Matters, on the determination of the number of seats, was considered on Thursday, amid the withdrawal of the amendment bill.
The bill’s withdrawal was described by the ANC as a defeat suffered by the DA when it realised it would not obtain the two-thirds majority support, as only one opposition party backed it after its apparent last-minute lobbying.
The vote on the report, 23 in favour and 16 against, signaled the voting patterns that would have translated into the bill falling short of garnering the required 28 votes to pass.
