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If ActionSA can mature fast, and Mashaba can bury the hatchet with the DA, there is still time for him to rebuild respect among the voters, unity across the opposition parties, and have a very real shot at unseating the ANC in 2024, writes Nicholas Woode-Smith.
Earlier this year, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba accused the DA's Helen Zille of betraying voters based on out-of-context gossip that she'd consider going into coalition with a hypothetical moderate splinter of the ANC.
The prospect of even considering cooperating with the ANC was so dreadful that Mashaba condemned Zille for even contemplating it in an informal setting.
But after the breakdown of the DA-led coalition in Johannesburg, Mashaba can no longer claim any sort of virtue when it comes to denying the ANC any power.
The coalition of opposition parties in Johannesburg could have led to stability and prosperity for the city. A model for what a non-ANC government could do. But at every turn, the coalition was sabotaged from within by minority members, and notably by Mashaba himself.
Half-hearted support
The list of ActionSA and Mashaba going after the wrong target is extensive. When it should have backed Johann Mettler as city administrator, it instead backed the EFF's corrupt candidate, Floyd Brink. When it should have stood in solidarity with the DA's speaker, it instead chose to embrace chaos. And even as it officially stood beside the DA mayor Mpho Phalatse, the support was thin and half-hearted.
And now, despite attacking Zille over hypothetical strategies to work with ANC splinters, there is word that the ANC and ActionSA may work together in the future. ActionSA National Chairman Michael Beaumont has stated that if the new ANC mayor wants to work with ActionSA in the city, that they should not decline.
The idea is that while they are an opposition, they should be a constructive opposition. Quite a mature viewpoint. Perhaps. But the problem is that ActionSA was never a constructive or mature opposition partner to the DA.
If they are more willing to cooperate with the ruling ANC than the opposition DA, are they truly an opposition party?
What happened…
Herman Mashaba's political career has been one of missed opportunities since day one. Things looked bright when he became the DA mayor of Johannesburg, but drama around working more in tandem with the EFF than his own party, and internal conflicts with the DA led to a dramatic exit.
ActionSA was founded as a populist party with massive appeal among voters who were dissatisfied with the ANC, but didn't trust the DA. Shifting votes in wards in Soweto, as surveyed by the Social Research Foundation, have shown that ActionSA has a real role to play in the townships and among the black middle class in South Africa.
READ | SATURDAY PROFILE: ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba - Joburg’s coalition collapse ‘may be a gift for us’
Through its radical promises and due to internal strife in the DA, the party soon grew – poaching many DA leaders along the way. The party did very well during local elections – forming a coalition with the DA in Johannesburg.
Things looked promising. An opposition coalition ruled Johannesburg. The ANC was on the decline. But now, the ANC is back in charge.
While Mashaba should have been working towards a stable coalition to prove the viability of the opposition as a whole, he rather chose to use his political influence and energy to criticise and attack the DA relentlessly. Again, and again. So much so that he would rather work with the EFF and making potential deals with the ANC.
What should have been
Mashaba should never have attacked the DA. They do not have a cross-over constituencies. ActionSA appeals to voters who don’t like the DA. And the DA appeals to voters who don’t like ActionSA. Fighting with each other did nothing but drive voters into increased apathy. And perhaps even back into the arms of the ruling party.
Rather, Mashaba should have worked in coalition with the DA while aiming for something far greater than unseating the official opposition.
With Mashaba's track record, charisma, and appeal to voters, he should have focused on becoming a presidential candidate that voters could love and respect. Rather than attacking the DA, he should have focused on creating a positive message by campaigning in ANC-dominated wards, taking votes from the ruling party.
He should have gone overseas and campaigned around the world, getting foreign governments used to his face and identity as a South African politician worth paying attention to.
By focusing on ANC-dominated constituencies, he would be taking votes from the main enemy – the governing party. By travelling the world, he would be building prestige and respect on a global stage.
READ | Adriaan Basson: Anything-but-the-ANC coalitions not a silver bullet
This would also help focus ActionSA's limited finances and resources. In reality, ActionSA has spread itself too thin by trying to build branches around the country and compete with other opposition parties for votes. Perhaps, they thought it was easier to win DA votes than ANC votes. But by doing so, ActionSA is not bringing us closer to a prosperous, stable country.
Mashaba and ActionSA, above all, should have set out a positive vision for South Africa for 2024. A presidential vision that could give voters hope and the energy needed to go to the polls and vote.
Instead, they decided to become the thorn in the side of the DA, and let vendettas rule them. A vendetta and feud that has led to the ANC retaking Johannesburg and very likely dooming the city.
But it's not too late. If ActionSA can mature fast, and Mashaba can bury the hatchet with the DA, there is still time for him to rebuild respect among the voters, unity across the opposition parties, and have a very real shot at unseating the ANC in 2024.
If you are reading this, Herman Mashaba, please stop attacking the DA. Aim for the real target. Take ANC votes. Become a respectable candidate for the presidency. And be the leader that South Africans deserve.
- Nicholas Woode-Smith is an economic historian, political analyst and author from Cape Town.
