About the party

The Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (ICOSA) was founded in January 2006 by former Karoo District Municipality manager Truman Prince after his expulsion from the African National Congress (ANC) Since its formation, ICOSA has acted as a regional kingmaker in the Western Cape, making an immediate impact during the 2006 local elections and securing council seats, and forming governing coalitions with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mossel Bay and the Kannaland Local Municipality. By 2011, ICOSA became the largest party in Kannaland, outperforming both the ANC and DA, a stronghold it maintained through the 2016 and 2021 elections. However, the party is currently locked in a leadership deadlock between two competing factions: one led by Jeffrey Donson, and an opposing faction led by Western Cape provincial chairperson Dawid Kamfer.