Kwena Moloto (centre) says the DA aims to protect residents against potential abuses from an ANC-EFF alliance in Tshwane. File Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
The withdrawal of ActionSA from the multi-party coalition in the City of Tshwane has plunged the capital city into political instability, threatening its future, says the Democratic Alliance (DA).
This comes after ActionSA left the multi-party coalition government in Tshwane, led by DA Executive Mayor Cilliers Brink.
ActionSA’ S Gauteng leader Funzi Ngobeni said this decision was not driven by personal or political motives, but genuine public interest.
IOL reported that ActionSA emphasised that their actions were not impulsive or ego-driven, but rather rooted in concerns about governance, particularly the management of public finances.
According to DA Tshwane spokesperson Kwena Moloto, the DA remains committed to the residents of Tshwane, despite these challenges.
Moloto said over the past 18 months, the coalition achieved notable successes, but ActionSA's poor performance in the 2024 general election has driven the party to realign with a faction of the African National Congress (ANC) opposed to the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Moloto said this faction, led by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, has previously resisted forming a Government of Provincial Unity and has engaged in controversial coalitions with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
Moloto also noted that in response to ActionSA’s withdrawal, the DA’s national leadership sought a stability pact with the ANC across Gauteng metros.
"We have made several attempts to persuade the ANC to withdraw the motion of no confidence against Mayor Cilliers Brink," said Moloto.
However, Moloto also noted that these attempts have been met with resistance from Lesufi's faction, intent on driving a wedge between coalition partners.
The motion of no confidence, initiated in July, is now poised to succeed with the backing of the EFF and ActionSA, undermining any potential agreement between the DA and the ANC to stabilise Tshwane, he said.
Furthermore, Moloto said this reflects the internal power struggles within the ANC.
The DA has expressed concern that this power struggle will enable the Lesufi faction to regain control of Tshwane, echoing their earlier dissolution of the city council during the Covid-19 lockdown, which left the city with a significant budget deficit.
‘’The many of Tshwane financial woes, including the breakdown of systems and controls, can be traced back to the ANC Gauteng power grab in 2020,’’ noted Moloto.
Moloto said should Mayor Brink be removed, the DA plans to re-nominate him in future elections, although they are prepared to return to opposition if necessary.
The DA is committed to protecting residents against potential abuses by the Lesufi/EFF faction, including attempts to reverse disciplinary actions against implicated officials, he said.
"We will approach the courts, if needed, to prevent the City of Tshwane from being destroyed from within," Moloto said.
As the situation progresses, the DA remains resolute in its commitment to the people of Tshwane, even if it means temporarily stepping out of government.
‘’We will not abandon the people of Tshwane, even if circumstances temporarily force us out of government.’’
IOL Politics
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