Herman Mashaba's ActionSA Prepared to Enter Into Coalition With Democratic Alliance
- Herman Mashaba has revealed that ActionSA is in a position to go into a coalition with the DA
- Mashaba, who dismissed the same prospect for the ANC, said the DA must meet a few conditions
- For a coalition, Mashaba said the conflict over race and politics must be done away with by the DA
- ActionSA has in the past 24 hours made notable gains by winning wards within large metropolitans
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JOHANNESBURG - ActionSA president Herman Mashaba made a stunning revelation on Tuesday, just one day after the local government elections.
The veteran politician announced that his organisation is willing to enter into a coalition government with his former party, the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Source: Getty Images
However, Mashaba outlined some stiff conditions for the two parties to pursue this avenue, according to a News24 report.
The popularity the party garnered following its formation 15 months ago has become increasingly evident in the past 24-hour period as its made notable gains within the large metropolitans.
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Briefly News understands ActionSA put on a strong display in Soweto, South Africa's biggest township.
The area has long been an African National Congress (ANC) stronghold, but current reports suggest Mashaba's party is potentially shifting the balance of power.
ActionSA's strong gains in ANC strongholds
An earlier EWN report noted that Mashaba ruled out the possibility of a coalition with the ANC. It comes as there are indications the City of Johannesburg is headed towards being a hung council.
With ActionSA also projected to perform well in Johannesburg, the former Executive Mayor declared his party was willing to collaborate with the DA.
Among the conditions, Mashaba cited that conflict over race and politics must be done away with by the DA if it seeks a working relationship with Action SA.
"I would work with the DA, but on one condition they must understand is that ActionSA is committed to social justice," said the Hammanskraal native.
"I don't want a country where people live in squalor, yet I'm told to go and cut grass in Sandton. As long as the DA understands that we are going to serve all societies and communities [we can work with them]," Mashaba added.
Mzansi is proud of the party for overtaking the ANC in some parts of Soweto
In related news, Briefly News recently reported that for a first-time political organisation, ActionSA seems to be gaining support in the City of Johannesburg metro.
Mashaba formed the party after having a falling with the DA, which led the ActionSA leader to leave his post as the executive mayor of Joburg and terminate his DA membership.
While the party might be new, ActionSA has been able to steal support from the ANC's Johannesburg townships such as Soweto, according to News24.
Election analyst Dawie Scholtz says the ANC may see overall voter support at 55% instead of 70% and this shift will be heavily impacted by ActionSA.
Current projections show that the party is averaging between 15% and 20% in Johannesburg and neighbouring townships, however, it should be noted that as vote tallying continues, these numbers could change.
Source: Briefly News
