ActionSA disappointed with DA ploy but affirms it stands with Joburg residents
28 August 2023
ActionSA is disappointed to report that the Motion of No Confidence scheduled to be heard on Thursday against Joburg Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, will be temporarily withdrawn. This is a direct outcome of the DA refusing to put the interests of the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa, and the residents of Johannesburg, ahead of their own narrow political interests.
After committing to talks about Joburg on the sidelines of the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa, the DA has refused to attend engagements about a proposal that would win back Joburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Knysna and various municipalities across the country for the parties of the Charter.
During the Multi-Party Charter negotiations, it was unanimously agreed that membership needed to be expanded to give the Charter the votes it required to win a majority in 2024. In the spirit of building a broad opposition to the ANC and EFF, talks with the PA resulted in them demonstrating their willingness to provide the required votes to remove Gwamanda and pave the way for parties in the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa to demonstrate this first success in the project of building momentum to 2024. The PA had committed to bringing their seats to the arrangement in Joburg and numerous other municipalities across the country, requesting only to retain two MMCs in Joburg.
Rather than embracing this in accordance with the agreement made during the Multi-Party Charter negotiations, letters were issued to Party Leaders on Saturday confirming that the DA would not engage in talks, would not work with the PA and would propose an amendment to the motion of no confidence to propose the dissolution of the council. Within minutes of receiving these letters, it was apparent that they had been provided it to the media simultaneously.