Johannesburg - The party has cited the DA’s attitude during the election of the new mayor in Joburg as its reason to apply its mind to its participation in the pact.
Last month, the DA called on like-minded parties to join the pact in a bid to consolidate electoral support across the parties before the 2024 general elections, thus ensuring the ANC and the EFF did not form a majority coalition government.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, who had earlier shown interest in becoming part of the pact, warned the DA to correct its paternalistic behaviour and attitude towards other opposition parties.
The DA wanted ActionSA to support the return of the DA’s Dr. Mpho Phalatse, while ActionSA fielded a candidate of its own in Funzi Ngobeni, resulting in a split of the votes across the two candidates.
In the end, both parties were losers: the ANC- and EFF-backed Kabelo Gwamanda won the elections and emerged as the mayor of Joburg with 139 votes.
Speaking to the SABC, ActionSA’s national chairperson, Michael Beaumont, said ActionSA enjoyed the support of the IFP, the FF+, and other parties.
"We actually called the DA and the Patriotic Alliance to a meeting the day before the council sitting and said we couldn't go into this council meeting... because if we go with two candidates, we increase the likelihood of an ANC or EFF candidate rising. Unfortunately, the DA took the approach of saying that if it was not their candidate, it would be an ANC candidate," he said.
Beaumont said the moonshot pact could succeed only if the DA changed its attitude towards smaller parties.
"It can still be saved, but the only way that can happen will require a complete 180-degree turn from the DA because they announced over two weeks ago that the intention of the pact is to prevent an ANC and EFF government in 2024. Here, you have an actual ANC and EFF government on the biggest local government platform. There has to be a change from the DA for the pact to work," he said.
The Star