'DA ideologically represents something I do not aspire to': Masina on not working with rival party

ANC Ekurhuleni chairperson Mzwandile Masina says, in his private capacity, he will never work with the DA.

He was speaking on eNCA to political commentator JJ Tabane after the reinstatement of DA mayor Tania Campbell in Ekurhuleni. 

“I will never work with the DA under any circumstances. The ANC can work with the DA or whatever they want,” said Masina. 

“The DA ideologically represents something that I, as a person, do not aspire to. I don't imagine myself sitting with [DA federal council chairperson] Helen Zille and trying to negotiate a coalition deal, but I can sit with other parties, including [ActionSA leader Herman] Mashaba.”

TimesLIVE reported on Thursday that Masina is under fire from the ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC) for going ahead with the motion of no confidence in Campbell despite warnings from the PEC telling him it was negotiating a deal with the EFF.

According to insiders, the motion was premature as provincial leaders had not concluded their discussions with the red berets.

“This man is told we have a plan; do not put the motion. What does he do? He goes ahead and does his own thing, undermining an upper structure,” an inside source told TimesLIVE.

Said another insider: “That motion did not go through the normal internal structures. The acting regional secretary did not even know there was such a motion.”

Explaining why the EFF decided to vote with the DA at the council meeting this week, EFF leader Julius Malema told Newzroom Afrika  his party was against the ANC winning in Ekurhuleni. 

EFF Gauteng chairperson and caucus leader in Ekurhuleni Nkululeko Dunga withdrew from the race after the ANC nominated its deputy regional chairperson Jongizizwe Dlabathi for the position 

“If our candidate had not withdrawn in Ekurhuleni the ANC would have won and we don’t want that,” said Malema.

“An agreement was reached that the EFF will take over government in Ekurhuleni. No-one came to us to say that has changed. What do we see? A man with a bruised ego called Mzwandile Masina nominate a candidate.

“Masina has regional consciousness, he doesn’t have national consciousness. That’s why he can’t understand when national and provincial come to an agreement to reach a balance. No hands have ever been raised to elect him at a national level,” Malema said. 

Speaking at the EFF Western Cape provincial peoples’ assembly last month, he said his friendship with Masina would not play a part in whether his party teamed up with the ANC in Ekurhuleni.

“Mzwandile Masina is a friend of mine, but [if] the EFF doesn’t want to vote for the ANC in Ekurhuleni it will never happen. We will not vote for the ANC because the commander in chief and Mzwandile are friends. We're not going to use those tools of analysis to determine how we vote in Ekurhuleni.”

TimesLIVE

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