DA’s John Steenhuisen lashes out at splinter parties after Mashaba launches Action SA

As Herman Mashaba launched his new party, Action SA, on Saturday, DA interim leader John Steenhuisen lashed out at splinter parties, which according to him end up strengthening the ANC.

Speaking at the DA Eastern Cape conference, Steenhuisen said the smaller parties end up taking away some votes from the DA.

“Every time a voter does this, the net result is the strengthening of the ANC. We’ve been through this scenario so many times. As soon as the elections are over, voters who tested the waters with one of these new start-ups realise they got zero bang for their buck from a one-man party with a regional footprint, and they return to the DA. But by then the damage is done for the next five years,” he added.

In order to weaken and push the ANC below 50% and relegate the governing party to the opposition benches, Steenhuisen said voters needed to realise they have to vote out the ANC by replacing it with the DA.

He said: “We must make the case that our only hope to end corruption and bring change is for voters to unite behind the strongest opposition party, rather than splitting the vote. And especially if that split vote goes to a breakaway from the DA, with individuals who are simply carrying DA ideologies and plans onto another platform.”

He added these parties could not effect change because they were too small.

The DA held its first virtual elective conference in the Eastern Cape, where Nqaba Bhanga ran uncontested. The virtual conference will be the pilot for the party’s congress which will take place in the same fashion later this year.

Bhanga, who will be taking the reins as leader of the province for a second term, has endorsed Steenhuisen in his campaign for party leader.

In his address, Bhanga said the DA had to go through its processes to rationalise, transform and adapt after the 2019 elections.

The party suffered a devastating defeat in the elections last year. Shortly after the 2019 elections, it dropped to 20.77%, the first drop since it was established. This led to factional battles which ultimately resulted in the resignation of party leader Mmusi Maimane and Mashaba as Johannesburg mayor.

In his resignation speech, Mashaba said he no longer believed the DA was a vehicle for change, adding he could not ignore the internal dynamics in the DA and the “continued attempts to undermine [his] pro-poor attempts in Johannesburg”.

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