ActionSA National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont briefs media in Johannesburg, 3 October 2022, on what actually transpired that led to the collapse of the multi-party government in the City of Johannesburg. He was joined by ActionSA Joburg Caucus Leader, Funzi Ngobeni, and ActionSA Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, Bongani Baloyi. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Following the mayoral drama in the City of Johannesburg, which saw the ousting of former Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse through a motion of no confidence on Friday last week, ActionSA on Monday refuted claims that it played a role in the collapse of the coalition agreement.
Phalatse’s future was already hanging in the balance following the ousting of former Speaker Vasco Da Gama.
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Addressing the media on Monday, party national chairperson Michael Beaumont said Phalatse pleaded with the Democratic Alliance (DA) leadership at the 11th hour to allow them to support an Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Speaker when it became clear that the Patriotic Alliance (PA) would not support DA Speaker Alex Christians.
“This isn’t about positions, its about stability and when you have a coalition government that is run by one party and every other party is only there to provide support, you do not have a stable coalition,” said Beaumont.
He was flanked by ActionSA Gauteng chairperson Bongani Baloyi who praised Phalatse for the role she played in leading the coalition, saying he has also given her a call to check on her wellbeing.
“It is also important for us to indicate at this moment that there is no longer a coalition in the City of Johannesburg, all parties, ourselves included, and the DA are now individual parties and we note the process at the DA has started in so far as the litigation, them challenging it and they have not directly engaged us.
“We have accepted our new reality that we are opposition and we are going to be a formidable opposition, we are going to ensure that the budget that has been approved, that we have made inputs in is effected and we are going to hold the executive accountable,” Baloyi said.
Questions have been asked by some political analysts on whether or not the latest developments in the city is a ploy to set the ANC up for failure.
Commenting further on the coalition agreement, Baloyi said the DA was the only party which did not agree to their proposal to have an IFP member for the Speaker position.
“We need to have power sharing in a coalition that creates stability and we are not there subserving to the will and the whim of the DA, we are not there to help the DA govern… no one won, there is no majority party there, so all of us are the same.
“The PA is the one that did not vote for a DA candidate and so this loose and clumsy allegation that we caused it by depositing an idea or proposal is quite laughable because we are a different party which holds different views and we wanted to persuade them but we were not able to do so because in their words they felt that it was their position…
“You see, once you are in a coalition and you believe it is your position, then you are no longer acting in the best interest of the coalition, you are now protecting what they believe is their position,” Baloyi said.
He warned that the coalition agreement in Ekurhuleni was also close to collapsing, adding that according to the information they have, the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have an agreement in place to take control of the metro.
Beaumont said ActionSA will convene a senate meeting sometime this week where they will discuss the party’s involvement and participation pertaining coalitions.