By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ActionSA confirmed that it had rejected “a proposal” from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to form coalitions in hung municipal councils.
In a statement, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said his party’s senate – ActionSA’s highest decision-making body – met on Friday evening and “resolved to close the door on a proposal presented by the EFF”.
EFF has proposed that it should run Tshwane, the ANC should govern Ekurhuleni while Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA run Johannesburg.
The statement read: “I have personally written to the EFF and communicated our position. It was a letter that respectfully expressed our appreciation for their engagements and our reservations regarding their proposal.
“In the event of ActionSA’s involvement in a coalition government, our response also committed ActionSA to collaborate with any party with regard to the service delivery priorities of their constituencies in relation to the development of budgets.
Mashaba said the senate discussed a range of issues and the EFF’s proposal.
ActionSA alleged that the EFF is in the same bed with the ANC. From the outset ActionSA said they would never form a coalition with the ANC, accusing them of being corrupt.
Under such an arrangement ActionSA could not fulfil its mandate to fight corruption because it would, invariably, be investigating and acting against those with whom it is in coalition.
ActionSA is working tirelessly with other political parties to produce a coalition arrangement that puts the residents first. We call upon all like-minded parties, in this respect, to act quickly and decisively and to put in place an arrangement that reflects the will of the South African people to remove the ANC from power and keep them in the opposition benches so that the work to fix South Africa can begin. To this imperative, we redouble our resolve,Mashaba said.