Johannesburg — ActionSA President and City of Joburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba on Tuesday stuck to his guns that his party would not form an alliance with the ANC any time soon.
This comes as ActionSA has made some formidable ground in clinching much-needed votes in the city.
Mashaba told IOL that he had mixed emotions about the party's performance thus far, adding he would have loved to have it all but was also practical about the results so far, and may have to enter into a coalition with other political parties, except the ruling party.
"We would have wanted to have it all but we have to be realistic, we've always had this in mind that elections are free and fair, we have to go to coalition with other political parties that will do so, and go to opposition benches we will do so. To be honest we are really satisfied and over the moon with the outcome,“ he said.
Political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga said while Mashaba has vowed not to look the ANC's way nor go into a marriage of convenience, it would be interesting to see which parties he would propose to.
"Anyone who hates the ANC, will hate the EFF. Alternatively, they can work with the EFF. I don’t know what will happen, but this may lead him to the direction of the DA,” Mathekga said.
He questioned whether Mashaba’s decision not to entertain the ANC was premised on principle.
"I think it is a principle position, (then) he will have to demonstrate that. It means that the coalition leads him in the direction of the DA and other parties," he said.
On the results, Mashaba said: "We are hoping that we will be in the early 20s, there is still a long way to go. We were just under 10% in Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. We are waiting for results in KwaZulu-Natal."
When asked which political party his party would go to bed with, Mashaba said it was not his decision to make.
"The party has made a decision not to go to a coalition with the ANC, but we have committed that we will engage our supporters on who they would like us to go to coalition with," he said.
Political Bureau