Action SA has accused the Democratic Alliance of effectively sabotaging its own idea of a ‘moonshot pact’ to rescue South Africa from rule by the ANC and EFF.
In a statement, Action SA chairperson Michael Beaumont, said that the prospects of retaking Johannesburg for an opposition coalition collapsed as a result of the DA’s approach, firstly to the Patriotic Alliance, and secondly to Action SA.
Beaumont said that a group of parties (ActionSA, IFP, FF Plus, ACDP and UIM) were united behind Action SA’s mayoral candidate Funzi Ngobeni, and had tried to rally the DA and PA to cooperate.
‘The meeting,’ he said, ‘was requested by this group of parties because of an appreciation that the efforts to replace the ANC and EFF in Joburg can only succeed if these parties, collectively, rally behind a single candidate capable of achieving a majority.’
However, on his account, the DA tried to push its own candidate for mayor, Mpho Phalatse, They added that the PA would need to make particular commitments before it could be included in the arrangement.
‘It seemed as if these conditions were imposed with the intention of creating a deadlock in talks,’ Beaumont remarked.
The PA refused and so no agreement could be reached in Phalatse’s candidature.
While the other parties declared a willingness to back Ngobeni, the DA would not.
‘It is apparent from the DA’s actions of the past two weeks that there was no real intention to build a majority behind the former multi-party coalition. At a time in which they are announcing moonshot pacts to stop theoretical ANC/EFF governments in 2024, they have proven unwilling to lift a finger to stop an actual ANC/EFF government here in Joburg,’ Beaumont said.
He added: ‘Perhaps most disturbing is how the DA has deemed the residents of Joburg to be expendable for their regional Western Cape politics. The issue of the PA and how they coalesce is predominantly in the Western Cape and has absolutely no bearing on the residents of Joburg.
The DA’s imposition of conditions upon the PA is all about how they position the PA in the Western Cape and ignores the fact that the PA were at the table in Joburg (for a second time in 4 months) to restore the coalition in Joburg.’