‘We’re proud… We’ve removed the ANC’: Mashaba on Joburg VICTORY

While coalition talks with the DA didn’t end so well, it’s definitely not sour grapes for ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba. This as the DA managed to regain the City of Johannesburg with the election of Mayor Mpho Phalatse on Monday evening, 22 November 2021.

Phalatse received 144 votes while the ANC’s Mpho Moerane only managed to bag 121 – 23 votes less.

NO COALITION AGREEMENT BETWEEN DA, ACTIONSA

Coalition then talks went south after the DA maintained it would not support Herman Mashaba’s mayoral candidacy in Johannesburg – which had been backed by FF Plus, ACDP, UDM and the EFF. When Mashaba spoke to journalists after Phalatse’s win, he said the DA had both ActionSA and the EFF to thank for their victory.

Mashaba says an alternative would have seen the ANC win back the council.

“There’s been discussions between us and the EFF to say let us support the DA and see what happens. What was important to us was to make sure that we do not have an ANC government in all three Gauteng metros,” he said.

While there is no coalition agreement in place, Mashaba says they decided to put Joburg citizens before their pride. But the businessman-turned-politician is not done: He says they intend on achieving the same result on Tuesday in Tshwane, when a new mayor is also elected.

“We agree with the EFF that we will not allow the DA to give this municipality to the ANC. We are proud of our achievement now we’ve removed the ANC from government, not only Joburg but in Ekurhuleni too and we will do it in Tshwane tomorrow,”

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba

He adds that if the DA is serious about governing, it will have to engage both ActionSA and the EFF, which it vowed to never work with.