After abstaining from the Speaker vote on Monday, the Democratic Alliance ( DA ) has been accused by JOHANNESBURG- ActionSA of avoiding its duty to Johannesburg residents.
According to ActionSA, the DA would have been able to field a candidate for Speaker if they had accepted the Patriotic Alliance into their coalition.
Instead, Margaret Arnolds, a council member of the African Independent Congress, was chosen without opposition.
Funzi Ngobeni, the chairperson of ActionSA Gauteng, claimed that the DA, their coalition partner, felt at home in Johannesburg’s opposition benches because they had little influence over governmental decisions.
The DA was “able to decide whether they wanted to lead the arrangement or support a candidate from one of these parties to win Johannesburg away from the ANC-EFF coalition” based on the nature of the discussions.
Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, the leader of the DA Johannesburg caucus, asserted that her party would not compromise its principles by collaborating with the Patriotic Alliance.
You are misinterpreting your role as an elected public representative if all you want is to be in government and hold positions in it.
Despite not having received the necessary two-thirds majority for it to pass, Kayser-Echeozonjoku stated that the DA would move forward with their motion to dissolve the Johannesburg council.
