Coalition talks in Gauteng’s hung metros have hit their first major stumbling block, with ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba refusing to compromise on his demand that the DA drop Helen Zille and Cilliers Brink as its mayoral candidates.
Mashaba has accused both politicians of racism, an allegation the DA rejects. He says he will not hand ActionSA’s black votes to people he regards as racists, 32 years into democracy.
“I will never work with the DA under the leadership of the racists Helen Zille and Cilliers Brink,” he said.
Speaking to Newsnote at the IEC Results Centre in Midrand on Sunday night, Mashaba made it clear that he would not begin negotiations with the DA unless the two candidates were dropped.
He also identified the retention of outgoing Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya as another non-negotiable condition.
“Regarding Tshwane, anyone who wants to govern must agree that Dr Nasiphi Moya must be the mayor. If anyone thinks they want to remove Dr Moya, they must not even bother wasting our time. She’s the best mayor ever,” he said.
“You remove that racist Cilliers Brink, and Nasiphi Moya must continue serving all the residents of Tshwane. And you guys can take Ekurhuleni. If you are not prepared to do this, there’s no reason whatsoever to waste your time and mine.”
Mashaba said he had a mandate from black voters who felt excluded and could not, in good conscience, support politicians his party regarded as racist.
“I can’t take black votes and give them to racists,” he said.
ActionSA secured 48 of the 214 seats in Tshwane, increasing its share of the vote from 8.64% in 2021 to 22.07% in 2026. This was the party’s strongest performance nationally. Mashaba attributed the result to Moya’s leadership as mayor.
“We will never sacrifice Nasiphi in Tshwane. She’s given us our biggest numbers yet, so we would rather let go of Ekurhuleni and Joburg,” he said.
Moya became mayor in 2024 after ActionSA supported Brink’s removal. Mashaba has repeatedly described that decision as one of the party’s best.
“I think our decision in 2024 to remove that arrogant celebrity from Tshwane has paid dividends and has given that black woman called Dr Nasiphi Moya an opportunity to serve,” he said.
The numbers behind Gauteng’s coalition talks
No party secured an outright majority in Johannesburg, Tshwane or Ekurhuleni, leaving the door open to several possible coalition arrangements.
- Johannesburg (270 seats; 136 needed for a majority): The DA has 91 seats and ActionSA 43. Together, they have 134 seats, two short of a majority.
- Tshwane (214 seats; 108 needed): The DA and ActionSA together hold 122 seats, enough to govern.
- Ekurhuleni (224 seats; 113 needed): The DA and ActionSA together have 106 seats, seven short of a majority.
The DA won about 35% of the vote in Johannesburg, with the ANC securing just over 20% and ActionSA about 16%.
The results leave ActionSA with considerable influence over coalition negotiations. The party could align with the DA or consider an arrangement involving the ANC, EFF and MK Party. Together, those three parties hold 138 seats in Johannesburg, 109 in Tshwane and 128 in Ekurhuleni.
Parties have already begun meeting, with several expected to make announcements later in the week.
ActionSA began coalition talks with the ANC on Sunday and the EFF on Monday.
The party has also indicated that it will not support Zille or an ANC mayoral candidate in Johannesburg, instead pushing for Mashaba to return to the position.
Mashaba said his objection was specifically to Zille, rather than to cooperation with the DA as a whole. However, he maintained that she was unacceptable because of what he described as her role in undermining stable coalitions in Johannesburg.
Zille, who led the DA to its best-ever result in Johannesburg, has rejected Mashaba’s accusation of racism.
“Mashaba doesn’t like me because I called him out on being the EFF mayor when he was supposed to be the DA mayor and for caving in to the EFF on every single issue because they had the balance of power in the city,” she said.
The strained relationship dates back to 2019, when Mashaba resigned as Johannesburg mayor after Zille returned as chair of the DA’s Federal Council and backed an ANC-led plan to remove him from office.
The first council meetings must be convened within 14 days of the councils being declared elected. With 127 hung councils nationally, including seven of the eight metropolitan municipalities, coalition negotiations are expected to shape the political landscape in the coming weeks.
Mashaba has made it clear that he will not compromise on Zille and Brink. If the DA refuses to drop the two candidates, ActionSA will pursue other options, including a possible agreement with the ANC and EFF that could pave the way for Mashaba to return as Johannesburg mayor.