ActionSA will become opposition if new coalition negotiations fail

ActionSA

Tshwane — With the Tshwane coalition between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA officially over, both parties now turn their attention to the governing future of the city and its people.

In a statement, ActionSA president, Herman Mashaba, said the party wanted to clear the air and set the record straight over its stance for the future of Tshwane. Mashaba said the party would not go into a blind coalition with the African National Congress (ANC) and said the decision to consider an alternative coalition government in Tshwane was not taken lightly.

He said the party was willing to defend its decision to propose an alternative to the current leadership of the DA and added that it would decide once it has consulted other parties. He also said the party would be happy to return to its role of opposition.

“As far as the Tshwane Metro is concerned, we would like both the media and Tshwane residents to allow us a bit more time to consult with various possible coalition partners for the best outcome. The results of these consultations will be made public as soon as they are concluded,” he said.

“Everyone should rest assured that should we fail to secure an alternative coalition government we can confidently be part of, ActionSA will happily rejoin the opposition benches in Tshwane,” he added.

According to The Citizen, political analyst Roland Henwood said it was difficult to understand ActionSA’s decision and said, while the party is not averse to working with the EFF or the ANC, the question remains how dependable the party will be as a coalition partner.

He added that it would be interesting to see how ActionSA members respond to the decision to leave the coalition, as well as whether the party can come up with a better solution to the current government.

“In the end, one is left with the impression that elite self-interest is the only interest that informs the decisions of ActionSA,” Henwood said.

In a statement of their own, the DA’s Willie Aucamp said ActionSA was clear on bringing down an effective and well-functioning coalition. He highlighted how the party had taken credit for the success of the multi-party coalition in Tshwane, and had dismissed the ANC ‘opportunistic’ motion of no confidence against Tshwane mayor, Cilliers Brink.

“Mashaba has turned ActionSA into the useful idiots of anti-constitutional forces in South African politics, and in the process has jeopardised the future of the capital city,” Aucamp said.

He said that while Mashaba is intent on destroying ActionSA, the DA is determined not to let Thswane face the same fate.

He said it was clear that ActionSA’s decision to leave the coalition had nothing to do with service delivery, the residents or the future of the city.

Meanwhile, EWN reported that ActionSA’s Tshwane councillors – Deputy Mayor Nasiphi Noya and MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Hannes Coetzee – would stay in their respective roles. Aucamp said it does not make sense for them to stay in a government they are no longer part of and they should do the honourable thing and resign.

“Wouldn’t the honourable thing for them to do be to resign if they do not have confidence in the mayor? But they are still in those positions. They were in those positions two months ago when there was another motion of no confidence against Mayor Cilliers Brink, which, at that stage, ActionSA fought against,” he said.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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