DA leader John Steenhuisen. Photo: (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
The Democratic Alliance has made attempts towards a “quid pro quo” relationship with the Economic Freedom Fighters despite public statements by its leader John Steenhuisen that it would not enter any government arrangement with the radical party.
The Mail & Guardian has seen a text message exchange between DA federal council chair Helen Zille and ActionSA chairperson Michael Beaumont, in which she said she would convince Steenhuisen to speak to ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba for his help about the matter.
In the messages dated 10 January, Zille said she had asked Steenhuisen to speak to Mashaba to help the DA in its attempts to have the EFF’s vote for its candidates for committee chair positions in the City of Johannesburg “…and if so, whether or not they would demand a quid pro quo and what it would be”.
Zille added that Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse had asked for an initial discussion so their approach could happen as soon as possible. Beaumont responded that he would advise Mashaba to anticipate Steenhuisen’s call.
Confirming the authenticity of the messages, Beaumont told the M&G that Zille reached out to him after the DA-led coalition lost critical committee positions in Ekurhuleni after the 2021 local government elections.
“And if you recall, the mayor [Phalatse], and the speaker had all been elected with the EFF support, at the time of the inaugural council, but there were questions around whether the coalition had a majority at the time, because the Patriotic Alliance (PA) were not on board at the top and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) were not on board at the time, they came on later. So there were big questions as to whether the same would happen in the City of Johannesburg, which is what occasions Zille’s message in January, where she said to me — I’m going to get John to reach out.”
Beaumont said Steenhuisen, however, never made the call to Mashaba. EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the party was not aware of any behind-the-scenes attempts by the DA to partner with it in any municipality.
Three weeks after the DA and ActionSA leaders spoke, Steenhuisen posted on Twitter that following the hard lessons learnt in 2016, “we would not be in any government arrangement with the EFF. This is a matter of considerable public record”.
At the time, the DA’s first attempt to elect committee chairs had been thwarted by its coalition partners in Johannesburg. ActionSA argued that committees could not be set up before the establishment of the mayoral committee they were meant to conduct oversight over.
In another leak, a meeting between coalition partners in Ekurhuleni attended by the city’s DA mayor Tanya Campbell suggests that she attempted to convince the party’s partners to work with the EFF in passing the council’s budget and employing a new city boss.
Minutes of the meeting seen by the M&G show that Campbell argued that for the coalition to get a suitable city manager, it should approach the EFF.
“We need to look at the bigger picture specifically toward the budget. We, therefore, need to pull the EFF onto these panels or else we will have a major problem and possibly (go) under administration,” she said.
The DA is currently facing a rebellion from its coalition partners in the City of Tshwane after its mayor Randall Williams attempted to have the council pass a motion for a forensic report into an unsolicited bid from a company that offered to refurbish and maintain two power stations in Tshwane for R26-billion, which would bind the city in a 30-year contract with the bidder.
The proposal was for Kratos Energy to refurbish two power stations that have not been operating since 2014 and turn them into gas energy supply networks. Williams argued that this would help generate 800 megawatts of electricity to help ease the effects of load shedding.
The ANC, EFF and DA coalition partner ActionSA did not agree with the report and objected to it being adopted and forwarded for public comment.
ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson Bongani Baloyi labelled the proposal illegal and a representation of the bad governance that “multi-party coalitions sought to displace when taking office”.
While the DA’s coalition partners insist that the arrangement will remain, the IFP, ActionSA and PA have expressed no confidence in Williams.
In a statement on Thursday, IFP provincial chairperson Bonginkosi Dhlamini said the party found Williams’s conduct unethical.
“Such conduct cannot be glanced over as it deeply undermines the principles of good governance and ethical leadership and ultimately displays the worst betrayal of the trust of the people. The IFP finds it difficult to continue supporting an individual facing such deplorable allegations. In light of this, the IFP is of the view that the executive mayor should not continue serving in his current position until a full and thorough investigation on his conduct is concluded.”
PA head of strategy Charles Cilliers said in a statement that the DA and Williams needed to undertake serious introspection. Beaumont said the DA was resorting to fear-mongering tactics to drive out its supporters.
“They do so because the extremism of the EFF does scare a lot of people. And they do that to try and brand us as being aligned to that way of thinking. But of course, the deepest irony of all of this, which I think is particularly relevant to the story, is the history around how the EFF came to be involved directly with coalitions in 2016, which of course was at the exposition, taken unanimously by the DA federal executive.”
“We will never let the ANC return to these governments. We were very clear to say yesterday that we have a Randall Williams problem, not a coalition problem. And even in terms of the way forward, we’re going to deal in the coalition to get that way forward. But I think a particular relevance here, when Randall didn’t get his way with us, our councillors get told by him, we will pass this with or without you, but then on the 11th August secret briefing sessions are held with the ANC and the EFF.
“Once again, when it’s convenient, we do talk to the EFF.”
The EFF has opened a case against Williams for his influence in the pending contract. It has attributed a collapse in service delivery in Tshwane to what it says is his misconduct and has also called for his immediate resignation.
On Tuesday, the ANC contended that although the idea was “brilliant”, it did not support how Willams planned to procure the service provider.
The proposed plan was for Kratos Energy to refurbish the Pretoria West and Rooiwal coal power stations, which have been out of operation since 2014, and turn them into gas supply stations. In a recorded session with senior executive members of the municipality, Williams is heard “soliciting” them for their support.
Tshwane chief operations officer James Murphy raised concerns about the company not having experience or being qualified to do the job, but Williams argued that Kratos Energy was a group of “big” companies which included Siemens.
“I looked the company up on Google and cannot find it anywhere. Kratos Energy is an Australian company with no experience in the field they are proposing. I am asking the mayor where I can find the information about the company,” Murphy said.
“The consortium is registered and made up of important partners, one of whom has just been granted a tender at the City of Cape Town,” Williams said in response.
DA spokesperson Cilliers Brink denied any attempts were made by the DA to partner with the EFF saying that the DA’s values are irreconcilable with those of the EFF, “and so we maintain our position of no coalitions with or including the EFF”.
He said ActionSA’s conduct might well jeopordise the and frustrates its day to day decision making however the DA remained committed to the success of the coalition, and the policy goal of making Tshwane less dependent on Eskom, and eventually load-shedding free.
“These power stations have not been in use since 2014, and the city lacks the capital to install clean energy infrastructure. No tender, unsolicited or otherwise, was on the table. The report didn’t preempt the outcome of the public participation process or any further steps that need to be taken in terms of the law before the city can lease the facilitaties or procure power independent of Eskom,” he said pledging the party’s support of Williams.
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