ActionSA’s 22% Tshwane Result Fuels Debate Over Working With The ANC

Some have argued that political parties betray their supporters when they form coalitions with the African National Congress (ANC), and ActionSA’s performance in the most recent Tshwane local government elections has sparked this debate.

On the other hand, blogger Raymond Sepheu posits that the increasing popularity of ActionSA’s political platform calls into question the idea that siding with the ANC means betraying the will of the people who wanted the current government ousted.

According to Sepheu, the party’s experience in Tshwane demonstrates how coalition arrangements can function without one political party giving up all of its influence. This viewpoint was circulated on X and shared on Facebook by ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba.

Nasiphi Moya became mayor of the capital after ActionSA was a part of a coalition that also included the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Sepheu contends that the choice to collaborate with the ANC should not be taken as giving the party complete control of the municipality. According to him, letting the ANC govern unilaterally is very different from reaching a power-sharing agreement where political parties can still have some say in policymaking.

In addition, he brings up ActionSA’s election results, highlighting the fact that the party came in second place in Tshwane with 22.07 percent of the vote, just behind the Democratic Alliance (DA).

According to Sepheu, this finding calls into question assertions that ActionSA’s link with voters who had backed attempts to depose the ANC from power was irreparably damaged by the party’s collaboration with the ANC.

In other Gauteng metropolitan municipalities, like Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg, where no single party won an outright majority, he argues that the same coalition approach could be considered.

Just as political factions are starting to negotiate the creation of new city administrations, he makes his case. ActionSA’s electoral support gives it potential influence over coalition arrangements, and it has emerged as a major player in those discussions.

On the other hand, Sepheu’s remarks reflect his personal political assessment of the results of the election. The agreements made, the distribution of power, and the performance of any coalition governments that emerge will determine if the Tshwane experience can be repeated elsewhere.

To what extent voters evaluate coalition members based on the political parties they align with or on their ability to maintain influence and produce outcomes at the local level is at the heart of the debate.

Source: https://x.com/hermanmashaba/status/2119793281399730248?s=46

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