ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont says the party is fully reviewing its position in the DA-led Tshwane coalition that has been running SA’s capital city for more than a year.
This comes after ActionSA voted with the ANC and other political parties to remove Al Jama-ah councillor Kabelo Gwamanda as Johannesburg mayor. The deal saw ActionSA’s caucus leader Nobuhle Mthembu elected as council speaker.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba recently spoke out against the DA, saying his party was engaging structures for views on what “to do with Tshwane”.
Political power has been constantly changing hands in Gauteng’s three metros — Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane — as a result of no party getting a sufficient majority of votes in the 2021 local government elections. The instability in councils has contributed to poor service delivery to communities.
The DA, together with its coalition partners including ActionSA, the ACDP and IFP, have been running the metro for more than a year, but that could change if the deal between the ANC, its coalition partners, and ActionSA proceeds.
ANC Tshwane regional chair Eugene Modise told Business Day at the weekend: “ActionSA held its senate meeting on Thursday. We are waiting for them to brief us on the way forward. But if they want the mayoral position, we are going to support them, or if it’s the speaker position they are after, we are going to support them still. It’s up to them.”
When asked what was in it for the ANC, Modise said: “We, that is, the ANC and the smaller political parties we work with, are going to share the executive positions among ourselves.”
Beaumont said the Tshwane matter was not discussed during the senate meeting. “The party is undertaking a full-scale review of its position in Tshwane and this will take time. It’s ongoing and it will take as long as necessary,” he said.
The Sunday Times reported that the DA, rattled by developments in Johannesburg, is said to have reached out to Gauteng ANC chair Panyaza Lesufi, requesting a meeting to discuss how the two parties could work together.
“They have approached the ANC asking for a discussion about Tshwane. They say they accept that Johannesburg is gone, but say let’s talk about Tshwane, Mogale City and these others,” said an ANC Gauteng insider. “We’re not clear what they are suggesting yet, but for now they are saying let’s talk. We think they want to stop ActionSA from taking over in Tshwane.”
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said his decision to approach the ANC was not just about Tshwane. He said he told the ANC they needed to discuss blocking the perpetual motions of no confidence against mayors in Gauteng municipalities.
“We had said we wanted to talk about these motions every six months, and that [discussion] should happen because the people of Gauteng deserve better in whatever municipality. So it’s not just for one municipality,” said Msimanga.
“We are looking at the same thing in Johannesburg, which has had six mayors in three years. We are saying whoever is in government, we must try to find a way to work together. There should be a discussion about stability in all municipalities, not just Tshwane or Johannesburg.” /With Kgothatso Madisa
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