Mashaba offers to quit Joburg mayoral race if DA drops Zille, as coalition talks open
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has offered to withdraw from the Johannesburg mayoral race if the DA's Helen Zille also steps aside, in a bid to break the deadlock between the two parties over who runs Gauteng's metros.
The offer
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont confirmed the letter but declined to give details. "I can confirm that Mr Mashaba sent a letter to the DA, but I can't speak much on it," he told IOL.
The letter, seen by TimesLive, proposed that both Mashaba and Zille withdraw so the DA could nominate a replacement ActionSA could support, Sowetan reported.
| Metro | Mashaba's reported proposal |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Mashaba and Zille both withdraw; DA names another mayoral candidate; ActionSA gets deputy mayor |
| Tshwane | DA's Cilliers Brink gives up his council seat; DA backs ActionSA's Nasiphi Moya for mayor |
| Ekurhuleni | ActionSA has indicated it could support a DA mayoral candidate |
Source: IOL; Daily Maverick; Sowetan.
The numbers behind the deadlock
The DA won the most votes in all three Gauteng metros but no majority, Daily Maverick reported. Daily Maverick described ActionSA as a potentially decisive player.
| Metro | DA | ANC | ActionSA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 34.79% | 20.25% | 16.27% |
| Tshwane | 34.37% | 20.22% | 22.07% |
| Ekurhuleni | 30.68% | 22.11% | 18.5% |
Source: Sowetan.
The DA's response
DA national spokesperson Jan de Villiers said the party would not negotiate through the media. Its Federal Executive has mandated talks with parties committed to clean government, fighting corruption, service delivery, the rule of law and non-racialism.
Our objective is to establish stable, effective governments that put residents first, restore accountability, and deliver the services communities deserve.
A risky gambit?
Political analyst Theo Neethling told IOL that Mashaba risked overplaying his hand by making his objection to Zille a condition. "Although his proposal – that both candidates withdraw – might appear to be a compromise at first glance, it places the DA in a difficult position," he said.
ActionSA spokesperson Matthew George said the party wants partners committed to "aggressively dismantling the cancerous corruption" in municipalities.