ActionSA sets record straight on Joburg Speaker negotiations
28 September 2022
ActionSA is disappointed by a dishonest mischaracterisation of our efforts to improve the stability of the Johannesburg coalition by the DA Provincial Leader, Solly Msimanga. In his remarks Msimanga sought to mischaracterise ActionSA’s position as a power play. It is regrettable that Msimanga made these remarks in contradiction to a multi-party effort to find solutions.
ActionSA made representations within the multi-party coalition that the vacant Speaker position in Johannesburg should be filled by the IFP rather than the DA. We did so without any possible benefit to ActionSA because we are concerned about the stability of the coalition in Johannesburg. While the work of fixing Johannesburg will take many years, this will only happen if coalition governments are stable and have continuity.
The circumstances of electing Mayors, Speakers and Chief Whips after the DA had collapsed coalition talks resulted in DA Mayors, Speakers and Chief Whips being elected. This could not be reversed in the coalition negotiations because of the precarious numbers of the coalition bloc. This is why, in the interests of co-governance, when the Speaker position became vacant, ActionSA sought to see power-sharing to other parties other than the DA and ourselves.
The truth is that parties like the IFP and PA command a significant number of seats in Johannesburg and have been heavily pursued by the ANC. Despite this, they have remained committed to the coalition but remain heavily under-represented in its leadership structures. ActionSA contended that stability in the coalition, and the consequent benefit to the residents of Johannesburg, would have been best served by deepening power sharing and accommodating these parties.
We provide this context because all parties must be held to account for how they conduct themselves in coalition. ActionSA has demonstrated its commitment to keeping the ANC out of these municipalities even when coalition talks were collapsed. Again today, despite disagreeing with the decision of the DA, we proceed to council to support their candidate for Speaker to ensure the continuity and the multi-party coalition to fight corruption and deliver services.
We invite Solly Msimanga to reflect upon how South Africans may comparatively assess the DA’s attitude towards co-governing with humility and in collaboration with other parties in a way that fosters stability and delivery.
Issued by Bongani Baloyi, ActionSA Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, 28 September 2022
