Coalition talks collapse in Johannesburg as Action SA blames DA for shattering its own Moonshot Pact

After intense behind-the-scenes negotiations to find an agreement between coalition parties in the Johannesburg metro on the following executive mayor for Johannesburg, talks have collapsed, leaving the door open for the ANC/EFF, who have patched up their differences to take control of the council. Action SA issued a statement on Twitter stating that all former coalition members, ActionSA, the IFP Plus, ACDP, UIM, and the Patriotic Alliance, confirmed their willingness to support Funzi Ngobeni from Action SA for Mayor, but the Democratic Alliance refused. An incensed Action SA President Herman Mashaba told BizNews that the coalition group initially offered the DA the mayorship of Johannesburg but tanked the possibility of an agreement by insisting that the PA withdraws all support for the ANC in all the municipalities throughout the country. – Linda van Tilburg

There was an offer to the DA to take the mayorship of Johannesburg

Only the DA can answer this, but unfortunately, looking at their responses, they are always telling lies. I don’t understand how human beings can openly lie because I think we, as ActionSA, have made it abundantly clear, including making an offer to the DA to take the mayorship. But, for them to take the mayorship, we needed to have the PA on board because, without the PA, we need the numbers. To be the mayor of the city of Johannesburg; it’s not something that you do with emotions. You do it based on having numbers. So the DA, for some reason, did not want to have the Patriotic Alliance. Yesterday they came out with a ridiculous offer to the PA. The DA said all of a sudden to the PA, we are happy for you to come in with us, but we want you tomorrow morning, the day before we go to council, to make a public announcement that you withdraw your support of the ANC in all the municipalities throughout the country—my goodness. Look, how on earth is that?

Read also: Crisis for Steenhuisen’s Moonshot Pact – partners support DA alternative in Joburg

DA is an arrogant party. It’s their highway or no highway

The ANC and EFF are working together. I was listening to Panyaza Lesufi, who is the ANC provincial chairperson. They’ve decided to vote for the mayor from Al Jama-ah from one of the smaller parties. There’s a disagreement between the ANC and the EFF regarding having either of them as the mayor, so they’re settling for smaller parties to be that mayoral candidate. But at least from their side, there’s a compromise, whereas in our case, we have a very arrogant group, an arrogant political party that says it’s their highway or no highway. So, unfortunately, it compromises the country. But I can tell you that if they are under the impression that they will have the Western Cape in 2024, they’re fooling themselves. In 2024, they’re going to go into a coalition, and if that’s how they’re going to be treating their coalition partners, unfortunately, that puts the future of our country under the ANC government, under the ANC and EFF.

Read also: DA’s Moonshot Pact to be a tale of coalitions, or not – JK

DA blew up its own Moonshot Pact

What is quite sad and hurtful and painful is the fact that John Steenhuisen just made their public pronouncement about forming a Moonshot Pact, getting like-minded political parties to join the DA for the removal of the ANC and the EFF in 2024, and here is an opportunity given by God to remove them now in the city of Johannesburg and DA is not interested. So, I am trying to figure out what to say about this. We are shocked; it is devastating. It is not just us. Everyone would have loved to get the ANC and EFF out of Johannesburg.

Read also: Moonshot Pact: Why provincial power could be the key to SA’s future – Western Cape Independence lobbyist Phil Craig

A secret deal between Helen Zille and the ANC?

For some reason, DA went to their plan back in 2019. Remember, I left as a mayor two years ahead of the expiry of my mayorship because Helen Zille and the ANC had plans to remove me as the mayor. So, it looks like they must have done some deal, Helen [Zille], and have made some agreement with the ANC that she still needs to honour. Only Helen can explain this.

I firmly believe Helen must’ve promised the ANC to deliver something to them. That’s why they plotted against me when I was the executive mayor in the City of Johannesburg. There were secret meetings to remove me as the mayor.

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