As the DA’s grip on some of the country’s metropolitan councils slips, Helen Zille, the party’s federal chair, has reiterated it will not cling to power at any cost.
Zille told Weekend Argus that the multiparty coalitions were “inherently unstable”.
This week saw the DA’s Ekurhuleni mayor, Tania Campbell, voted out in a motion of no confidence in which 100 councillors voted in favour of her removal. Only 93 councillors voted for her to continue as mayor.
This was preceded by ousting of Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse, who was, however, reinstated this week after a high court ruling reversed it.
"These massive coalitions – 10 parties in Nelson Mandela Bay and eight in Johannesburg – are inherently unstable and frequently illegitimate."
"The time is ripe for consolidation and not fragmentation of South African politics," Zille said.
She said this was something the DA was working on.
“But we do not hang on to power at all costs, nor with a gun to our head. We did this with the EFF in Johannesburg in 2016, and it was a disaster.
"We are a learning organisation. We try not to make the same mistake twice," Zille said.
Though Phalatse was reinstated this week, she is facing yet another motion of no confidence brought by the ANC in the City of Joburg.
Phalatse, through her spokesperson Mabine Seabe, said the motion “would be without substance”.
"Councillors have the democratic right to bring a motion of no confidence against Mayor Phalatse and, by extension, the entire executive, but it would be meaningless.
"Nonetheless, there is ongoing communication between political parties,“ Seabe said.
Seabe also rubbished the notion that Phalatse could be the next black leader to leave the DA after a heated emergency federal executive meeting this week.
According to insiders, Phalatse was summoned to the meeting to discuss ways to stabilise a coalition government, and stuck to her guns on working with the EFF to retain the city.
Asked if the party would discipline Phalatse for refusing to toe the party line, Zille said: "Mpho was trying to save the coalition and the mayoralty. The EFF made demands that the DA and (the party’s federal executive) were not prepared to accede to. That's all.“
Meanwhile, in Ekurhuleni a new mayor is set to be elected at a special council meeting next week Wednesday.
Campbell’s former chief of staff, Warren Gwilt, before referring questions to Ekurhuleni's chief whip Khetha Shandu, told Weekend Argus the DA would put up Campbell’s name for mayor.
Attempts to reach Shandu were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, political analysts said the DA was choosing to be careful not to upset its voters.
Political analyst Lukhanyo Vangqa said the DA was more concerned about the 2024 general elections.
"The DA decided to consolidate their base. Anything that is going to upset that strategy or upset their base – they are not going to go for it."
“The strategy for 2024 is to use that base to garner at least 20% of the vote to be able to become the (anchor) party in any coalition, hopefully with a Cyril Ramaphosa ANC," Vangqa said.
On Phalatse’s mooted exit from the party, Vangqa said the DA was not worried black leaders were leaving the party.
"The DA is preparing to lose a bit of support as they prepare their base. They know they are going to shed the black rural support.
Vangqa said the DA was also willing to sacrifice its position in the metro for its core base.
"The DA is investing its resources where it believes it could get an outright majority. They don't believe they will be able to do so in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Joburg, so they will not invest resources there," Vangqa said.