The Democratic Alliance (DA) is suffering the aftershocks of its loss of the City of Johannesburg.
The party’s candidate for the mayoralty was defeated by Geoff Makhubo of the African National Congress (ANC). The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supported their own candidate. The election was forced after Herman Mashaba left the mayoral office, having announced his resignation as mayor and as a member of the DA days after Helen Zille was elected chair of the party’s Federal Council.
The results of Wednesday’s election indicated that at least one member of the DA caucus (and possibly more) had voted for Makhubo. Mike Moriarty, DA Gauteng chairperson, remarked: ‘Obviously it is a huge disappointment. It’s a disappointment for us that any councillor saw it fit to undo three years of good work done by Mashaba and DA-led administration.’
Former mayor Mashaba said the fact that DA councillors would support Makhubo – who is alleged to have been involved in corruption – vindicated his decision to quit the party. He also referred to the abandonment of the DA by its former coalition partners: ‘They did not see a prospect of working with the DA in a coalition that is open, engages with different solutions to our complex problems, and is willing to set aside differences in the interests of the residents.’
ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule said 11 DA councillors were discussing defection to the ANC. ‘You will see more, because the DA is not a home to South Africans,’ he said.
The loss of the country’s commercial capital is a further setback to the DA after its disappointing election results earlier in the year. The DA also faces a challenge in Tshwane, where it heads a minority coalition government.