ANC will have to wait 300 years for coalition with ActionSA – Mashaba

One of the ANC’s top-six leaders has allegedly approached Herman Mashaba for a possible coalition with his ActionSA party, but Mashaba has vowed to never get into bed with the ruling party.

Addressing the media in an impromptu briefing at the results centre in Tshwane, Mashaba said his party was doing well in unseating the ANC and that he was informally approached while doing a walkabout at the centre.

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Mashaba, however, said he would not disclose who approached him but that it happened within 30 minutes of his arrival at the result centre.

“It would be stupidity [to say who it is]. When you operate as a human being, you have to have integrity. Sometimes people talk to you in confidence and I think it would really not be fair. It was one of the top six… It was the first time [they approached me]. I was hardly here half-an-hour…”

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However, according to Mashaba, ActionSA has no intention of ever entering into a coalition with the ruling party.

“It’s completely impossible. I said ‘wait for my call’. I am telling you, that call will not come in 300 years,” said Mashaba.

Despite only being launched in August last year, ActionSA got the third-highest number of votes in the City of Johannesburg, where Mashaba previously served as mayor under the DA.

The party has garnered 16.08% of the vote in the metro, ahead of the EFF at 10.59% and Freedom Front Plus with 1.73%.

“We want to know who the voters want us to work with. And it’s not just ActionSA supporters but all residents of those municipalities as when we enter government, we serve all residents and not just the people who voted for you,” said ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont.

rorisangk@citizen.co.za