Tshwane coalitions: ActionSA likely to partner with DA as coalition talks with EFF hit deadlock

The Tshwane metro was most likely to be run by a DA-led coalition consisting of the Freedom Front Plus, ACDP, UDM, Cope and ActionSA, political analysts believe.

This came after talks between “kingmakers” EFF and ActionSA fell apart.

The two-weeks long intense coalition talks over the governing of the capital city were expected to come to an end on Wednesday as the metro prepares for the inaugural council on Thursday.

This past weekend, talks between EFF and ActionSA fell apart. The EFF was pushing to get the executive leadership of the Tshwane metro in exchange for the Johannesburg metro to ActionSA and the ANC taking over Ekurhuleni. But this plan fell flat as ActionSA pulled out of coalition talks with the EFF, refusing to vote for ANC.

“Although the coalition talks had not yet been finalised, the metro is likely to be ruled by a DA-led coalition,” said Unisa political science professor Dirk Kotze.

Kotze said while the EFF and ActionSA had influence in the coalition, they were junior partners and did not have the power to make final decisions.

“As the process of coalition talks comes to an end, the less ActionSA and the EFF will be able to dictate about what is happening while the leading parties [ANC and DA] will have that power,” he said.

Kotze said the EFF’s conditions for coalition partners were “over-demanding” and made it difficult for other parties.

“In Tshwane, they wanted the executive power and yet they only received 10% of the votes. Secondly, they are not equally strong in all municipalities.

“More than 80% of the population in Tshwane did not want the EFF as the mayor; they more or less disqualified themselves by overstating their case.”

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He said as the coalition came to an end, the political parties would compromise.

EFF leader Julius Malema, speaking at an event in the Eastern Cape over the weekend, said his party wanted the mayorship of Tshwane in exchange for the Johannesburg metro to ActionSA and the ANC taking over Ekurhuleni.

But for this exchange to take place then the ANC, ActionSA and EFF would have to vote together in the three metros.

This led to ActionSA pulling out of talks with the EFF.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said this was due to the party not wanting to vote for the ANC.

“ActionSA committed during the campaign that we would never work with the ANC. Any arrangement that depends on ANC support would be a violation of that commitment to the South African people,” he said.

ActionSA coalition talks leader John Moody said the party would announce their coalition partners in Tshwane on Wednesday.

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In case you missed it 📹

CIC @Julius_S_Malema on coalition negotiations for City of Joburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.

– we are prepared to swallow our pride, give the enemy agents power in order to take power elsewhere & demonstrate how best the EFF can govern. pic.twitter.com/oLfPXQ3f68

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 14, 2021

Tshwane local government election results:

– ANC: 34.63% council seats: 75

– DA: 32.03% council seats: 69

– EFF: 10.69% council seats: 23

– Action SA: 8.64% council seats: 19

– Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus): 7.84% council seats: 17

For a party to lead the metro it needs 108 seats. In Tshwane, this will be achieved through a coalition government.

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