Democratic Alliance federal council chairperson Helen Zille. (Marco Longari/AFP)
The election of ActionSA’s Nasiphi Moya as the new mayor of the City of Tshwane has sparked a backlash from the Democratic Alliance (DA) which will now pull out of stability talks with the ANC in eThekwini, Ekurhuleni and other metros across the country.
The party’s federal chairperson Helen Zille had issued Luthuli House with an ultimatum to help reinstate Cilliers Brink as mayor, or face the consequences, but the ANC backed Moya with the assistance of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
Zille told the Mail & Guardian that, after Wednesday’s result, her party would no longer be engaging in stability talks with the ANC with a view to taking or maintaining joint control of metros including Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay.
These talks around a stability agreement would have ensured that the DA and ANC protected each other during motions of no confidence in the metros they both govern.
Zille added that, while the DA had voted with the ANC in the eThekwini metro to install Cyril Xaba as the mayor in July, it would reconsider its position with regard to working with the ANC in the metro.
“The ANC must watch this space,” she said.
Ekurhuleni ANC regional coordinator Jongizizwe Dlabathi, who replaced the EFF’s Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga as the finance MMC after he was fired, said the party was still interested in having the DA as a partner in Ekurhuleni.
Dlabathi told the M&G that they hoped the ANC national leadership would consider their proposal to have the EFF removed from the coalition in Ekurhuleni and that the outcome in Tshwane would not have any bearing on the party’s decision to work with the DA in the future.
Following Moya’s victory in the mayoral election on Wednesday, where she received 122 votes to defeat Brink, who garnered 86 votes, the focus has shifted to the formation of a new mayoral committee — and the 2026 local government elections.
The ANC and the EFF have indicated that both parties expect to be rewarded with key positions in the new government, with the ANC anticipating at least five portfolios and the EFF one “strategic” portfolio in Tshwane.
“As the biggest party in council, we have agreed on the ANC taking up key positions including that of the speaker. The negotiations before Wednesday agreed on that. What we want is positions that will also convince voters that we are serious about reviving Tshwane,” an ANC source said.
The ANC holds 75 of the 214 seats in council, while the EFF has 23 seats and ActionSA 19, jointly accounting for 117 votes.
The source added that, according to the agreement, ActionSA would receive two additional positions, while the smaller parties that supported Moya during the council vote would be appointed in portfolio leadership positions.
The ANC is expected to take the deputy mayor position, with George Matjila touted for the post.
ANC Gauteng secretary TK Nciza confirmed that discussions are progressing but declined to provide further details on the party’s interests in the mayoral committee.
The EFF’s Dunga told the M&G that the party was eyeing a position that would enable it to provide service delivery in the city, such as human settlements, environmental management, corporate services or community development, so it could take concrete steps towards addressing long-standing issues, for example the housing backlog.
“It is important for the EFF, which cares for the people, to be awarded a position which will resolve the plight of the people of Tshwane,” he said.
Dunga made it clear that the party views this coalition as a stepping stone towards greater involvement in governance across Gauteng and that it is “ready to govern”. He said the party’s experience in municipalities such as Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg was evidence of its readiness to lead in Tshwane.
It is rumoured that EFF Tshwane chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu is being considered for an MMC position but Dunga would not be drawn into confirming or denying this.
While the final decision on the composition of the mayoral committee will rest with Moya, ongoing negotiations suggest a power-sharing arrangement between the ANC, EFF and other smaller coalition partners.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, a former mayor of Johannesburg, said he was happy with the EFF as a coalition partner and would appreciate the party’s support in this mayoral term.
“When I took over the job [as mayor], I had no idea what a mayor does …I was given the responsibility to run a municipality, with the dependence of the EFF at the time. We really needed the EFF to be able to pass reports in council.
“In the three years as a mayor, the EFF were the most supportive of all the parties in the arrangement,” Mashaba told a multi-party briefing in Tshwane on Wednesday.
However some ANC regional leaders, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed discontent with the national leadership’s decision to proceed with an ActionSA mayor.
They said they hoped their candidates, who were considered strong contenders in the mayoral challenge against Moya, would occupy key positions in the metro instead of those being given to the EFF or to the ActionSA.
“Being in control of the finance position is very strategic if we want to change the position of the metro. Anything else would be challenging. This is despite the national leadership’s fear that this could be detrimental to our electoral prospects in local government elections, but the hope is for us to show that we can take the most feared position in the city,” one said.
The city has been grappling with financial instability, service delivery breakdowns and low morale among municipal workers. The DA has faced criticism from opposition parties for its failure to restore the city and its handling of its finances and governance.
Mashaba said the coalition would prioritise restoring stability and improving service delivery.
The ANC also expressed confidence in Moya’s experience, viewing her leadership as critical to stabilising Tshwane.
With local government elections scheduled for 2026, the ANC sees this coalition as an opportunity to strengthen its position in the city.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga, in a statement after Moya’s election, expressed disappointment in the outcome but signalled that the party would refocus its efforts on campaigning for the 2026 local elections.