ActionSA president Herman Mashaba announced on Saturday in Atteridgeville that his party has departed the Tshwane coalition it has been part of since 2021.
Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink is set to face his third Motion of No Confidence (MONC) on September 26.
The two previous motions, in July and August, were not voted on for procedural and legal reasons.
“We have to cut our ties with this coalition government in Tshwane,” said Mashaba when he addressed supporters at Saulsville Arena on Saturday.
https://x.com/ActionSA_GP/status/1834938286013399133
He said that the election results in May were a result of ActionSA’s association with the Multi-Party Charter.
He said that the decision to leave the coalition was made by the ActionSA senate on Friday, due to the post-election reality, and “the many instances of mismanagement we have witnessed in Tshwane”.
“We shall never take such serious decisions on a whim, just to satisfy anyone’s ego or to simply spite anyone. Especially when there is a government already in place that works for the people of, in this case, Tshwane,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Mashaba said that his party had always spoken against unnecessary changes to governments that work.
“In as far as the Tshwane metro is concerned, we would like both the media and Tshwane residents to allow us a bit more time to consult with various possible coalition partners for the best outcome,” said Mashaba.
An agreement was reached between the DA, ActionSA, FF+, ACDP, IFP and COPE on December 15, 2021, which included strategic priorities on insourcing, inner-city rejuvenation and immigration, and formed the basis for a coalition government in Tshwane.
Motivating for the latest motion of no confidence, ANC councillor Frans Boshielo, said the motion was being brought due to the metro’s debt of R6-billion to Eskom and R15-million to Rand Water, delayed pension fund payments, unnecessary expenditure on new appointments, and a late submission of five quarterly audit performance committee reports.
DA Tshwane spokesperson Kwena Moloto said last week that the party was disappointed with ActionSA noting the party’s refusal to co-operate with the coalition despite multiple efforts to persuade it.
“ActionSA has treated its Tshwane coalition partners with absolute contempt,” said Moloto.
“It is clear ActionSA intends to vote in favour of a motion of no confidence.”
Moloto added that Mashaba had made clear his preference for a coalition with the EFF, aligning with Mathabathe’s public comments.
The FF Plus affirmed its commitment to the Tshwane coalition, urging ActionSA to acknowledge the progress made under the current government and avoid destabilising the city.
MMC Grandi Theunissen of FF Plus called for co-operation and stability to address the metro’s challenges.
“Although the Tshwane metro’s problems will not be solved overnight, it is important to note that the coalition’s efforts have already resulted in some positive outcomes,” he said.
“The various parties have worked hard since the coalition took over the metro to steer it through challenging times for the benefit of all its residents.
“The FF Plus is calling on its coalition partners, particularly ActionSA, to band together, create the necessary stability and demonstrate their commitment to the task at hand.”
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