DA’s stance on EFF will ‘hurt’ multi-party coalition in Ekurhuleni, says ActionSA

ActionSA Gauteng chairperson, Bongani Baloyi says he believes the opposition will vote in favour of removing Ekurhuleni mayor, Tania Campbell.

A motion of no confidence against Campbell is expected to be tabled at the City of Ekurhuleni’s council sitting on Wednesday.

The African National Congress (ANC), which brought on the motion, has accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) member of neglecting service delivery for residents in the metropolitan.

Minority coalition

Speaking to the media ahead of the vote, Baloyi said the DA’s stance on refusing to work with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) could result in the ANC recapturing the City of Ekurhuleni.

“Our reality here is that it’s a minority coalition… the only way we can win is if the EFF votes with the minority coalition. The DA has explicitly said we don’t want [the EFF’s] vote [and that they] will never engage with them so it’s going to deliver a blow to the coalition,” he said.

Baloyi said he was not banking on the Red Berets to vote with the DA.

“The circumstances now don’t inform as to suggest that [the EFF will vote with the coalition],” he added.

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This week, the DA re-affirmed its position not to work with the EFF in the City of Joburg, with the party’s federal council chair Helen Zille insisting that the party do so due to the Red Berets’ views on white people.

Zille labelled the EFF a racist party and also pointed out the fact the Red Berets have an agreement in place with the ANC.

The DA famously excluded the EFF from its multi-party coalition despite the Red Berets backing the party’s candidates in Ekurhuleni as well as in Tshwane and Johannesburg after the 2021 local government elections.

Principles

Meanwhile, DA Gauteng chairperson, Solly Msimanga insisted that the DA would not comprise its principles to stay in power in Ekurhuleni.

“These are the things that are little bit too far for us [and] this is why we say we will stick to our principles even if it means that we go back into the opposition benches,” he said.

Regarding parties voting in favour of the motion against Campbell, Msimanga said: “There’s a phenomenon in South Africa where parties go out and say one thing to the voters when they are trying to lobby them. [They] then come back and do the exact opposite of what they promised. None of these parties when we win, will support the ANC.”

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