A war of words continues between the Democratic Alliance and Action SA in what has become the messiest break-up in South African politics. In the latest the two have accused each other of negotiating deals with the ANC behind the other’s back leading to seemingly irreconcilable differences with a motion of no confidence against Mayor Celliers Brink ( of the DA) scheduled for next week thursday which may seel the fate of the so-called “multi-party coalition”.
Brink, who has vowed to not go down without a fight, briefed the media at the municipal offices in Pretoria on Thursday where he was adamant that the DA only initiated talks with the ANC after discovering that Action SA was trying to do the same. “Mr Mashaba started this and I must say he acted prematurely and in an amateurish way by saying Action SA would rather work with the EFF than the DA. This is all his doing, he referred to being treated badly elsewhere where it has nothing to do with the City of Tshwane and started talking to the ANC about collapsing the multi-party coalition in favour of an ANC-EFF government and it was at that point that the DA national leadership then approached the ANC with the aim of getting a stability agreement,” said Brink.
Action SA expressed similar disappointment when it emerged the DA was to be the ANC’s key partner in the so-called Government of National Unity following the May 29 national and provincial elections which did not produce an outright winner.
Action SA said at the time it had been betrayed by the DA which had organised centre-right parties to form a pre-election pact with the strict condition that none of them were to work with the ANC under any circumstances with Action SA leader Herman Mashaba committing himself to resigning instead of working with the ANC.
It remains to be seen if the motion against Brink will be pursued further considering that the DA is still trying to convince the ANC to spare him. Ironically, the motion was brought by the same ANC that Brink’s survival is seemingly depended on.
The EFF has been consistent in its opposition to the DA-led coalition while ACDP remains in the coalition with the DA.
Brink said the collapse of the multi-party coalition would reverse gains made in the year or so he has been at the helm. “We need to prioritise Tshwane residents and not bring political instability just when the City is making progress,” said Brink in a claim shot down by Action SA which argues he is actually the worst mayor ever in South Africa.
“By all accounts, Cilliers Brink is a below average Mayor. Under his administration, the City of Tshwane has higher cumulative irregular expenditure, owes more to Eskom, and has a lower capital budget than Johannesburg and eThekwini. Residents deserve a government that prioritises service delivery excellence and serves all regardless of their postal codes,” said Action SA through its account on social media platform X even comparing him unfavourably to Mxolisi Kaunda and Kabelo Kwamanda who until their recent removal, where Mayors of Ethekwini and the City of Joburg respectively.
“Inn 2020 the City of Tshwane owed nothing to ESKOM.
Today it owes R6.8 billion and faces court action next month.
An ANC Mayor would be condemned for this fact. Ask yourself why it is different for a DA Mayor? said Action SA national chairperson Michael Beaumont on X.
“I intend staying in the city, not as leader of the opposition but as the Executive Mayor,” said Celliers.