If ActionSA, ANC join up to keep DA out it will anger voters – analyst

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 7 November 2026. Picture: Nigel Sibanda / The Citizen

ActionSA may hold the keys to governing Gauteng’s three major metros, but its newfound influence could come at a political price.

Commentators and political insiders warn that a coalition with its former ANC foe, particularly if it excludes the DA, could alienate voters who backed Herman Mashaba’s party as an alternative to ANC rule.

Should Mashaba’s party sidle up to the ANC, critics warn that Gauteng could face another five years of fragmented municipal administrations, with smaller parties competing for positions, influence and whatever else is grabbable at the trough.

Parties now face difficult coalition negotiations, potentially leaving ActionSA in a position to determine who governs and who remains in the gallery.

That is if the ANC and DA do not find common ground first.

Political analyst Theo Neethling said the more important question was whether the two parties would consider governing together.

“The best way is for the ANC and the DA to get in a coalition,” he said, adding that an agreement between the largest parties could provide greater legitimacy and avoid the complications of fragmented coalitions.

It could also leave ActionSA in the gallery and clear the path for Helen Zille to don Joburg’s mayoral chain.

Neethling didn’t discount another ANC and ActionSA arrangement, given their existing working relationship in Tshwane.

“One of the scenarios is certainly a continuation of what we have seen over the past year, with the ANC and ActionSA working together,” he said.

Animosity between Mashaba and the DA could also complicate negotiations.

An independent insider was less diplomatic, saying Mashaba must take his head out of the sand and stop allowing personal differences to influence coalition choices.

Another ANC and ActionSA affair could alienate voters who supported the party as an alternative to ANC rule.

“If ActionSA jumps into bed with the ANC, it will be a problem for them going forward,” the insider said.

“Their surge in support will be short-lived.”

In 2021, Mashaba said removing the ANC from government was fundamental to ActionSA’s existence.

“Our strategy is to unseat the ANC in local governmentand limit their access to the public purse that they continue to dine on,” he said at the time.

“ANC people are in government to take, not to give.”

Mashaba was equally dismissive of parties prepared to accommodate the ANC through coalitions.

“We intend to fix South Africa and get our country out of the clutches of the ANC for the good of all our people,” he said.

In a statement yesterday, ActionSA Gauteng provincial chair Funzi Ngobeni said the party would consider each municipality individually.

“We are prepared to talk to any political party. But we will not enter into agreements simply to be part of government.”

Ngobeni said agreements must prioritise service delivery, fight corruption and promote accountability.

ActionSA’s Michael Basch said no coalition decisions had been taken and several arrangements were being considered.

Basch rejected suggestions that coalition negotiations were driven by leadership personalities.

He said the party was focused on programmes to improve residents’ lives, including restoring municipal services and addressing failing infrastructure.

Pressed on whether an ANC partnership would betray voters who supported ActionSA’s campaign against the ruling party, Basch said coalition decisions should be determined by what could be achieved for residents.

The insider warned an arrangement involving the ANC, ActionSA and smaller parties could produce unstable councils.

Mashaba and ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont did not answer or return calls seeking comment.

DA leader Geordin Hill Lewis’ spokesperson said the party had no comment.

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