Herman Mashaba Rules Out DA Coalition, ActionSA Leader Says He Cannot Support a “Racist Party”
- ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba flatly refused to partner with the Democratic Alliance during coalition negotiations following the Local Government Elections
- Mashaba made the remarks at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on 8 November 2026, as all three Gauteng metros returned hung councils
- His comments triggered sharp debate online, with some supporters questioning whether his stance was consistent with other statements made the same evening
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Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG — ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has publicly ruled out forming a coalition with the Democratic Alliance, declaring at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on 8 November 2026 that he cannot support what he describes as a racist party.
Speaking to reporters at the Gallagher Convention Centre as results from the 2026 Local Government Elections continued to trickle in, Mashaba was unequivocal.
"I can't support the racist. I lived 34 years of my life. My father and my grandparents lived under an oppressive, violent past. There's no way I'm going to let that repeat itself under my watch."
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Could ActionSA work with the ANC?
When pressed on whether a rejection of the DA would push ActionSA into the arms of the African National Congress, Mashaba said he had options.
"I can work with the DA as long as they remove racists. I'll be betraying black people if I'm going to support racism," he added.
The statement carries significant weight given the seat distribution across Gauteng's three metros, all of which produced hung councils. In the City of Johannesburg, where 136 seats are needed for outright control of the 270-seat council, the DA leads with 91 seats, followed by the ANC on 63 and ActionSA on 44 seats.
In Tshwane, ActionSA secured 48 seats in a council requiring 108 for a majority, with the DA on 74 and the ANC on 44. In Ekurhuleni, ActionSA holds 40 seats, the DA 66, and the ANC 59, against a threshold of 113. Remaining seats in each metro are distributed among other parties, all of whom could influence coalition outcomes.
Mashaba's position draws online scrutiny
Reactions to Mashaba's remarks on social media were mixed. Several users questioned the consistency of his stated position.
@pages_and writing:
"In the other video, in the same event, he says he will work with DA but not Helen. Why is this brother so inconsistent?"
@BogosiRsa9102 added:
"Herman said he is willing to work with the DA if they put a different mayoral candidate. So he is open to working with everyone."
Others were more critical of the broader implications.
@Kash786787 warned:
"This one will cause the ANC to come back."
@themonkeys50542 directed a message at Mashaba directly:
"Herman Mashaba, there is no racism; stop dividing the people of South Africa. We want services...finish and klaar. We don't care if the cat is black or white."
@darryngolf compared the ActionSA leader:
"@HermanMashaba is just an angry Joe Biden."
@mphog33 simply noted:
"He really hates gogo's guts."
Mashaba accuses Sunday Times of misleading readers
Briefly News reported that Mashaba took to X to call out the Sunday Times over its report on coalition talks involving the DA and Helen Zille.
The Sunday Times reported that ActionSA demanded the DA drop Zille as its Johannesburg mayoral candidate.
South Africans were divided in their reactions, with some backing Mashaba's response and others accusing him of contradicting his own party's position.
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Source: Briefly News
