ActionSA risks electoral suicide in Tshwane power struggle

ActionSA is being played by the Panyaza Lesufi faction of the ANC, which repeatedly undermines President Cyril Ramaphosa’s authority.

But all that could be stopped by a mooted stability agreement between the ANC and DA.

What Lesufi has done in the Gauteng legislature and Joburg is a challenge to Ramaphosa. In both instances, Lesufi has gone against the spirit of the government of national unity.

He has arranged provincial and metropolitan legislatures that deliberately exclude the DA.

Lesufi’s next target is the Tshwane metro, where he seeks to depose DA mayor Cilliers Brink.

ALSO READ: Here’s why the ANC wants Tshwane’s Cilliers Brink gone

Lesufi is exploiting two of ActionSA’s weaknesses. First, its desperation for relevance after being reduced to a 1.2% party in the May elections. Second, ActionSA’s unwavering animosity towards the DA.

This ill will gives the Lesufi ANC faction and ActionSA a united purpose.

However, ActionSA will be signing its own electoral death warrant if it actively participates in Brink’s removal.

Much is made of ActionSA’s so-called “review” of its role in Tshwane.

We are told the party is consulting its structures to decide on whether to remain within the governing coalition.

ALSO READ: Tshwane petition gets behind mayor Brink

Given that ActionSA’s public representatives are beholden to the party’s self-appointed leadership, the outcome of the review is a foregone conclusion.

The leadership wants to support the ANC motion of no confidence against Brink.

However, ActionSA’s decision may be rendered irrelevant depending on what happens between the two biggest parties – the ANC and DA.

An ANC delegation led by secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has been taking soundings in Gauteng.

On Monday, the ANC in Tshwane made representations to the party’s national working committee on why it wants to remove Brink. Any significant move will likely have to be ratified by the ANC’s national executive committee.

ALSO READ: DA warns ActionSA not to bring the EFF into government in Tshwane

Yet ActionSA’s offering may be only one of the options being considered by the ANC leadership. The possibility of working with the DA may also be on the table.

At a media briefing on Monday, Mbalula stressed the need for stability.

“We are tired of having mayors changing week in and week out. We will not be part of any arrangement that does not guarantee stability,” he said.

On eNCA on Monday night, Gauteng ANC provincial secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza said they were “speaking to everybody”.

“We believe that by time we get to the 26th [of September] we will have had sufficient engagement so that we can put in a new mayor – or at least a new government,” said Nciza.

ALSO READ: ActionSA’s flip-flopping shows need for unity in metros

Perhaps this self-correction of his statement could mean keeping Brink as mayor while bringing in ANC MMCs?

On the same news programme, Tshwane DA MMC Jacqui Uys said the ANC and DA were engaging on the possibility of a “stability agreement”, where each party would undertake not to bring a no-confidence motion against the other in legislatures across the country.

Right now, there’s no telling what the ANC will decide on Tshwane.

However, an ANC-DA stability agreement across metros and provinces has massive positive potential.

The country’s two biggest parties could in this way bring stability and begin in earnest the massive task of turning around some of our great cities.

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Viva stability, viva!