By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
An attempt by opposition parties to gang up against the ANC is unravelling, with the DA’s biggest alliance partner, ActionSA, accusing the party of dishonesty because it is flirting with the ANC.
The Multi-Party Charter for South Africa which emerged from the infamous “moonshot pact” of the DA is designed to reduce the ANC’s majority.
The partnership of 10 parties seeks to take over Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and defend DA rule in the Western Cape.
But there is now a complete fallout between the DA and ActionSA, which is not exactly a junior partner in the alliance.
ActionSA is listed by the Independent Electoral Commission as the sixth-biggest political party in the country – it won more than 550,000 votes in the 2021 local government elections.
That’s the equivalent of 13 seats in the National Assembly, which highlights the impact the party has already made on the political landscape, even though it will be contesting national elections for the first time.
It was ActionSA’s motion of no confidence against the former mayor of Ekurhuleni – Sivuyile Ngodwana of the African Independent Congress – that collapsed the EFF government in the city, but the party is aggrieved that the DA failed to support it.
“The crisis of leadership that affects the residents of Ekurhuleni is entirely a product of the leadership failures of the ANC and the DA, which collectively account for the majority of the council, and yet neither will provide the leadership to govern it,” the party said.
“This failure is notably from the DA, who abstained in the motion of no confidence to remove the mayor while its former coalition partners in ActionSA, IFP, ACDP and FF Plus remained unified in their votes to remove the mayor.”
Meanwhile, Rise Mzansi, a potentially important player in opposition politics, is engaged in a public slanging match with the DA.
This comes after DA leader John Steenhuisen said opposition parties like Rise Mzansi, the Good Party and the Patriotic Alliance were doing the ANC’s dirty work by trying to unseat the DA in the Western Cape.
“The biggest risk to continued progress and building a better future for all of us in this province is complacency and mercenary parties like the PA, Rise Mzansi, Good and the NCC [National Coloured Congress]. They are not interested in taking on the ANC,” Steenhuisen said.
“They know there is nothing left to loot in other provinces and want to come to the Western Cape because they want to get their hands on the budget and money that has been well looked after by our government.
“If they get that right, it’s going to be the biggest bank heist you’ve ever seen. Within a few months, the money will be gone in this province,” the DA leader added.
Axolile Notywala, RIse Mzansi’s premier candidate for the Western Cape, said: “No amount of swart gevaar or fear mongering will deter Rise Mzansi from campaigning in the Western Cape where the DA has failed black and coloured people for 15 years.”
If the DA underperforms in the 29 May election, Steenhuisen’s mad outburst against opposition parties could end up costing him his job.
Pictured above: John Steenhuisen.
Source: X
