Scrolling through Action SA’s official Twitter account is a heartening but also somewhat frustrating experience.

On the one hand, the party is keen to celebrate the good work that has been done by the Multiparty Coalition government in Tshwane. This week has been the first week of Spring, and it was wonderful to see public swimming pools with sparkling blue water being enjoyed by residents in Soshanguve, Waverley, Atteridgeville and Danville.

And it is not just swimming pools. Action SA has also demonstrated how the Multiparty Coalition government is prioritising the needs of residents in our poorest communities including Mabopane and Soshanguve.

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And then there is the embattled community of Hammanskraal, where the Multiparty Coalition Government has written-off long-standing water debts as part of the solution to the water crisis facing that area.

Indeed, there is much that Action SA should rightly be proud of – for this government has achieved remarkable successes during its short time in office and Action SA has been instrumental in making these successes a reality.

Sadly, all of this is a far cry from the recent utterances of some of Action SA’s leaders. Earlier this week, Action SA’s Gauteng leader, Funzi Ngobeni, declared that the Multiparty Coalition only focusses on suburbs whilst neglecting township areas. It is difficult to understand what informs his comments as they are simply not borne out by the facts on the ground.

A productive and collaborative relationship

Although it might appear that coalition partners are at each other’s throats in Tshwane, the truth is that Cilliers Brink and DA Members of the Mayoral Committee (“MMCs”) enjoy a highly constructive relationship with their colleagues in the Multiparty Coalition government.

Ziyanda Zwane of the IFP has been an exceptional MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management. He has shown great courage in taking on powerful interests in the waste collection industry, insisting that waste collection trucks be fit for purpose and that their movements be accounted for.

Hannes Coetzee of Action SA is the MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning – a critical portfolio where he is playing a major role in cutting red tape and improving administrative efficiency across the administration. Here we can see Action SA promoting some of the notable successes which have been achieved in this area.

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Grandi Theunissen and Rina Marx of the Freedom Front Plus are hardworking and deeply committed MMCs who have brought new life to the community safety and health portfolios. If given just another 12 months in office, there is no doubt that the efforts of all of our MMCs will bear further fruit in the form of improved service delivery for residents across the city.

The Democratic Alliance believes deeply in making the Multiparty Coalition work. This is why we supported the creation of a Deputy Executive Mayor position, and why we were delighted when Dr Nasiphi Moya of Action SA was elected by council to serve in this role. Dr Moya has full oversight over capital projects as well as oversight over service delivery at a regional level. I am grateful that she is taking the lead in resolving the stain on our conscience that is the Hammanskraal water crisis, and she and Cilliers Brink will work around the clock to ensure that we resolve this matter before the end of our term in November 2026.

Delusion and misjudgment

Between Dr Moya and MMC Coetzee, Action SA has control over the main levers of economic policy in the capital city. Why Action SA would want to give all of this up to take a shot in the dark with the ANC and EFF is something that I and many others cannot understand.

Perhaps part of the explanation lies in the mistaken belief held by some that Action SA is a bit-part player in a DA government. But both in substance and in appearance, nothing could be further from the truth. For this is not and never has been a “DA” government, nor is it even a “DA-led coalition government”. This is a Multiparty Coalition government – a team of equals – and the credit for its success must be shared broadly across its constituent members.

I can’t pretend to fully understand the political dynamics within Action SA. At the top of the party, some Action SA leaders seem to be driven by a one-dimensional desire to take revenge against former colleagues in the Democratic Alliance. And within Action SA’s Tshwane caucus there appears to be a few councillors who have been deluded into believing that an ANC-EFF-Action SA coalition will offer them some form of short-term career advancement.

However, I suspect that the vast majority of Action SA’s members as well as a vast majority of its public representatives support persevering with the Multiparty Coalition. This appears to be the view taken by Action SA’s Senate, the party’s highest decision-making body. Certainly, judging by the feedback on social media this week, Action SA’s voters are horrified by the possibility of the party terminating the coalition – especially if that means bringing back the ANC and letting in the EFF.

Much gained – but also much to lose

Much has been achieved by the Multiparty Coalition over the past three years:

The city’s finances – although still fragile – have stabilised and are on the path to recovery. The Auditor General’s most recent report showed an improved audit outcome which – whilst far from perfect – indicates that we are on the right track. Revenue collection is up. Debts to Rand Water and SARS have been paid whilst our debt to ESKOM is being proactively managed.

Significant steps have been taken to achieve reduced reliance on ESKOM with the Tshwane 2024 Energy Summit showcasing numerous important initiatives being undertaken to develop alternative energy sources, to protect infrastructure and to share plans and expectations for renewable energy IPPs.

Perhaps most importantly, a solution to the Hammanskraal water crisis is now finally in sight.

Of course, there is much more still to be done. But there also is much to lose. To understand what is at stake, take a moment to contemplate what is to come should Action SA follow through with its threats.

First and foremost, Obakeng Ramabodu, the leader of the EFF in Tshwane, is likely to take a senior role in municipal government. This is the man who in a council meeting in July declared that he wished to “moer ‘n boer” and that he “wants the blood of an Afrikaner”. Last month, many of his EFF colleagues could be found outside the gates of Pretoria High School for Girls – some so drunk that they could hardly stand – leading school children in singing “Kill the Boer”. That the EFF will be at the heart of a new government in Tshwane is not conjecture or speculation: the numbers in council are such that an alternative government to the current Multiparty Coalition can only be formed if the EFF is included.

To see the chaos and destruction that an ANC-EFF coalition will bring, just look south to our sister cities in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni. Unable to pass budgets on time in Ekurhuleni; unable to repair exploded streets in the Johannesburg CBD; unable to even hold council meetings without the event descending into violence: these two parties can only serve their own interests rather than those of the residents who elected them. Should the ANC-EFF come to power in Tshwane, then never mind swimming pools: even the most rudimentary forms of service delivery will perish as the worst impulses of cadre deployment and corruption return to the capital city.

The most tragic part of this story is that this is all completely unnecessary. The Multiparty Coalition has a small but clear majority in council of 109-105. And the truth is that there is deep and broad consensus amongst the residents who voted for members of the Multiparty Coalition that the coalition should persevere and should be given an opportunity to complete its term in office. I urge the leaders of Action SA to listen to their own public representatives and – above all – to listen to the residents of Tshwane.

Together, we can show that a better alternative to the ANC-EFF exists. Together, we can build a capital city that works for all of the people.

Kwena Moloto is DA Tshwane Caucus Spokesperson.