ActionSA’s Senate Resolves to Review Approach to Coalitions
6 October 2022
ActionSA concluded a Senate meeting yesterday which was dedicated exclusively to discuss the future of coalitions. The meeting was convened in the wake of the collapse of the multi-party government in Johannesburg and growing concerns for the stability of the coalitions in Gauteng.
Of particular concern was the need for coalitions to operate from a stable foundation that enable service delivery and sufficient continuity to reverse decades of failed government. In short, coalitions that are constantly on the brink of collapse cannot effectively deliver services.
The precarious nature of the minority coalition in Ekurhuleni formed part of the discussion. Earlier this year ActionSA motivated the case for the multi-party coalition to engage other political parties in Ekurhuleni to secure the support required to approve budgets and survive motions of no confidence. This proposal was not accepted and therefore it will be critical for the coalition to provide leadership on how the Ekurhuleni multi-party coalition can sustain in the face of imminent motions of no confidence.
The multi-party coalition in the City of Tshwane, while more secure in the composition of the council, remains a concern arising from the process of investigating the conduct of Mayor Randall Williams as it pertains to the handling of the controversial unsolicited bid proposal. The handling of this matter would be essential for the stability of the coalition in Tshwane.
The Senate has resolved to initiate a review of ActionSA’s approach to coalitions in local government appreciating the myriad modalities through which collaboration and cooperation can find expression. The review would see ActionSA adopting a more pragmatic approach to coalitions, with a greater focus on programmes of service delivery and stability. To this end, the review would initiate discussions with all political parties represented in the Gauteng metros to identify areas of agreement and collaboration.
As a part of this process, ActionSA will be engaging its coalition partners to discuss concerns relating to mutually agreed service delivery priorities that have not been adequately prioritised. It was a point of emphasis within the Senate that ActionSA initiate a bi-lateral engagement with the DA to assess whether the two parties could introspect with a view to improved collaboration.
As an important feature of this review, ActionSA will be initiating a dialogue with the residents of Gauteng, and South Africa as a whole. It was recognised that coalition instability has been the cause of much distress for South Africans and that any approach ActionSA were to take in the future must be informed by the views of those that coalitions are meant to serve.
ActionSA believes that its involvement in coalitions must be premised on their ability to effectively deliver honest services to the residents of these municipalities in a stable manner. This must come first ahead of all other considerations.
Statement issued by Michael Beaumont, ActionSA National Chairperson, 6 October 2022
