Tshwane: Will it kill GNU?

Angry at being stabbed in the back by the ActionSA alliance with the EFF and the “Lesufi faction” of the ANC in the election of Tshwane’s new mayor, the DA “has broken off all discussions with the ANC relating to local government until the Tshwane matter is resolved”, says DA leader John Steenhuisen.

After the Tshwane council voted to elect ActionSA’s Nasiphi Moya as mayor to replace the DA’s Cilliers Brink, who was ousted in a motion of no confidence earlier this month, Steenhuisen said: “The treachery by ActionSA in its alignment with the EFF and the Lesufi faction, who are clearly opposed to the GNU and seek to damage it, has led to the situation in Tshwane.

“As a result, the DA has broken off all discussions with the ANC relating to local government until the Tshwane matter is resolved.”

DA broke off discussions with ANC

Steenhuisen acknowledged, however, that “when the GNU statement of intent was released, it was made clear that the arrangement was for a government of national unity (GNU) and would not extend to other spheres of government”.

“There was, however, a commitment to looking at a way to stabilise local government,” he added.

Moya was elected after she received 122 votes against former mayor Brink’s 86 out of a total of 208 during a secret ballot overseen by the Electoral Commission of SA. Moya described her two weeks as acting mayor as difficult because she had to deal with “crisis after crisis”.

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“We have to make this thing work so people don’t laugh at us and say we told you so,” Moya added.

The councillors in the gallery laughed when the DA’s Jacqui Uys nominated Cilliers Brink as a mayoral candidate and later cheered when the ANC’s Eugene Modise nominated Moya.

After the mayoral election, Moya addressed the council and outlined her plans to turn around Tshwane and asked the council to put their political differences aside and work together.

Moya’s plan to turn Tshwane around

Members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union and political parties danced in celebration inside Tshwane House while members of the DA slipped out of the chamber to avoid being booed again.

Political analyst Piet Croucamp said in some way it was a compromise for the DA because Moya is not an ANC mayor.

Despite their feelings about ActionSA and Herman Mashaba, at least it’s not the ANC, he pointed out.

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“One would think that Lesufi didn’t get his way and one committee of the ANC did not get their way.

“Luthuli House and the Union Buildings might consider this compromise appropriate for now,” he said.

Political analyst Daniel Silke said it was interesting that the ANC was willing to deal with ActionSA ahead of the DA.

Interesting for ANC to deal with ActionSA ahead of DA

“That deal with ActionSA was with a party that has vowed to never deal with the ANC and yet from the ANC’s perspective, removes the DA from the pound seats of Tshwane.

“It also embarrasses the DA no end and ultimately shows there’s disunity with the ANC,” he said.

Silke said the action by the ANC undermines the cohesiveness of GNU at a national level.

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“It’s designed to embarrass the DA and remove the DA from power.

“The DA is fully committed to the GNU and the ANC has decided to go with an alliance and a party that is not even part of the GNU and has also badmouthed the GNU.”

Silke said: “It was an embarrassment for DA leader John Steenhuisen, given that the DA was unable to forge a relationship with the ANC other than for ministerial allocations.

“It has really been unable to take the GNU and disperse its goodwill to local government.”