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Mashaba says DA should invite EFF with ActionSA if coalition talks resurface
'If they want to talk to ActionSA, they must make sure that the EFF is part of that arrangement,' says Mashaba.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba at the IEC ROC in Pretoria, 2 November 2021. Picture: Jacques Nelles
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has left the door open for the Democratic Alliance (DA) if the party were to change its mind to rule in a minority coalition government with other parties.
This after ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) voted to elect the DA’s mayoral candidates, Dr Mpho Phalatse and Tania Campbell, as mayors of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni respectively.
Minority government
Speaking to the media in Tshwane on Tuesday, Mashaba also indicated that ActionSA would vote for DA’s candidates in Tshwane as well.
Mashaba also suggested that should the DA change its position and want to govern with other parties, the party should invite the EFF as well.
“We are going to be voting for the DA here in Tshwane. The DA can be assured of unseating the ANC today, but then what happens beyond that as a minority government is up to them. The sooner they come talk to us, the better.
“One thing I have made abundantly clear to the DA, if they want to talk to ActionSA they must make sure that the EFF is part of that arrangement,” he said.
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The DA’s refusal to work with Mashaba and the EFF in a coalition minority government would have handed the African National Congress (ANC) opportunity to govern both City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
This is the reason why both the EFF and ActionSA banded together to shun the ANC out.
“I’ve always suspected that the DA wants to give these municipalities to the ANC because for them to really want to cooperate without having the numbers […] ANC would have take all the municipalities. So I took a conscious decision and called the EFF and told them that we have got to stop this,” Mashaba added.
No agreement
In light of the DA’s victory, DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille indicated that she was not celebrating too much, acknowledging the difficulty the party would face working in the coalitions.
Zille had previously claimed during an interview on 702 that Mashaba danced to the EFF’s tune when he previously held the position of mayor in Johannesburg.
READ MORE: Mashaba explains why he handed power to ‘irresponsible’ DA
She also accused Mashaba of enabling the EFF of running the coalition government behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, DA leader John Steenhuisen made it clear though that there was no coalition agreement between the DA, EFF and ActionSA.
“I also want to make it clear that we did not solicit the support of the EFF – or ActionSA for that matter – for our candidates in these metros. There was no deal made with them, and there is no quid pro quo for supporting our candidates,” Steenhuisen said on Tuesday.
