DA moves away from coalitions following ActionSA betrayal in Tshwane

JOHANNESBURG - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said the party no longer wants to rely on coalition arrangements to get into government after ActionSA betrayed the party in the City of Tshwane.

The two parties governed the capital together for years until ActionSA walked away from the coalition.

With parties now preparing for next year’s municipal polls, Steenhuisen on Friday announced Former Mayor Cillier Brink as the DA’s Mayoral candidate for Tshwane.

The DA and ActionSA were the best of friends in the lead-up to last year’s general election, but the relationship soured once the results were announced.

ActionSA became dissatisfied with the DA’s move to work alongside the African National Congress (ANC) at national government and responded by forming its own partnerships with the ANC at provincial and local levels.

This resulted in the DA being ousted from power in the City of Tshwane, bringing its period of rule in the capital to an end.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said he no longer wants his party’s fate to rest in the hands of another party.
"The DA has to be the biggest party by a long way in any coalition. If you’re not going to give us an outright majority, make us a strong party so that we don’t have to do deals with ActionSA."

ActionSA has stopped working with the DA in Johannesburg and Tshwane, but they remain partners in the City of Ekurhuleni.