The DA is expected to snub the ANC in the City of Johannesburg on Thursday as the ANC attempts to yet again table its bid for the council to approve a R2.5bn French loan.
“There hasn't been much consultation and openness around the conditions of the loan, what is to be done with the money, the repayment, and the like. It is not just an issue of voting to prop up the ANC and allow them to have their way,” said DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga.
This comes as finance MMC Dada Morero approaches council for the third time to request a change of heart regarding loan funding from the Agence Francaise de Developpement for its “budgeted external borrowing” to fund its projects.
Meanwhile, the DA's erstwhile coalition partner ActionSA has come out to indicate its interest in working with the ANC under strict conditions, which include the removal of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, the scrapping of the controversial R200 prepaid electricity surcharge in exchange for its issue-by-issue vote in council.
Msimanga said he was unbothered by ActionSA's sudden move to work with the ANC, a move for which ActionSA previously lambasted the DA.
“They are clearly seeing that they are becoming irrelevant, polls are indicating that they are plummeting to 0% nationally, and in Gauteng ActionSA's significance is diminishing.
“There is also the issue of them constantly wanting to criticise the DA instead of being part of the decisions. It is funny because the same thing that they have accused us of doing, they are now doing. [ActionSA leader Herman] Mashaba said it would take 300 years before he talks to the ANC — I guess the 300 years has come and gone,” Msimanga said.
The DA leader said he found it interesting that Mashaba's party pointed fingers at the DA — blaming it for the collapse of the multiparty charter — without accounting for its poor electoral showing.
“He fails to acknowledge that they did not bring us the numbers they promised and the numbers we were supposed to get to. In the Gauteng legislature, they managed to get only two seats out of 80.
“How do you begin to have a conversation after that? Their analysis is somehow misguided. They should look at how their performance and contribution to the charter contributed to its failure. No-one worked against the charter agreement. He worked against it by not bringing in the numbers to sustain the charter.”
Msimanga said he was uncertain that the DA in Gauteng would be able to mimic the GNU at metro level, considering the recent deadlock in provincial government negotiations.
“We haven't really engaged them further. Our stance remains simple: we need a principled agreement of power sharing, including how we deal with decision making and conflict management.
“Just because we can put the numbers together does not mean we should just agree. We need clear terms on how to sustain a possible agreement and to ensure that we do not have one party trying to swallow another.
“We will not just jump into a coalition just because there is one at national level if there is not going to be a clear programme of action.
TimesLIVE
DA 'won't vote with ANC in Joburg' and is 'unbothered' by ActionSA's move to
Msimanga says party won't support ANC's third attempt to approve R2.5bn loan
Image: Freddy Mavunda
The DA is expected to snub the ANC in the City of Johannesburg on Thursday as the ANC attempts to yet again table its bid for the council to approve a R2.5bn French loan.
“There hasn't been much consultation and openness around the conditions of the loan, what is to be done with the money, the repayment, and the like. It is not just an issue of voting to prop up the ANC and allow them to have their way,” said DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga.
This comes as finance MMC Dada Morero approaches council for the third time to request a change of heart regarding loan funding from the Agence Francaise de Developpement for its “budgeted external borrowing” to fund its projects.
Meanwhile, the DA's erstwhile coalition partner ActionSA has come out to indicate its interest in working with the ANC under strict conditions, which include the removal of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, the scrapping of the controversial R200 prepaid electricity surcharge in exchange for its issue-by-issue vote in council.
Msimanga said he was unbothered by ActionSA's sudden move to work with the ANC, a move for which ActionSA previously lambasted the DA.
“They are clearly seeing that they are becoming irrelevant, polls are indicating that they are plummeting to 0% nationally, and in Gauteng ActionSA's significance is diminishing.
“There is also the issue of them constantly wanting to criticise the DA instead of being part of the decisions. It is funny because the same thing that they have accused us of doing, they are now doing. [ActionSA leader Herman] Mashaba said it would take 300 years before he talks to the ANC — I guess the 300 years has come and gone,” Msimanga said.
The DA leader said he found it interesting that Mashaba's party pointed fingers at the DA — blaming it for the collapse of the multiparty charter — without accounting for its poor electoral showing.
“He fails to acknowledge that they did not bring us the numbers they promised and the numbers we were supposed to get to. In the Gauteng legislature, they managed to get only two seats out of 80.
“How do you begin to have a conversation after that? Their analysis is somehow misguided. They should look at how their performance and contribution to the charter contributed to its failure. No-one worked against the charter agreement. He worked against it by not bringing in the numbers to sustain the charter.”
Msimanga said he was uncertain that the DA in Gauteng would be able to mimic the GNU at metro level, considering the recent deadlock in provincial government negotiations.
“We haven't really engaged them further. Our stance remains simple: we need a principled agreement of power sharing, including how we deal with decision making and conflict management.
“Just because we can put the numbers together does not mean we should just agree. We need clear terms on how to sustain a possible agreement and to ensure that we do not have one party trying to swallow another.
“We will not just jump into a coalition just because there is one at national level if there is not going to be a clear programme of action.
TimesLIVE
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