New tensions push Tshwane coalition to verge of collapse

The coalition between the ANC, ActionSA and the EFF that governs Tshwane is teetering on the brink of collapse just three months before the local government elections.

The Sunday Times can reveal that the ANC and the EFF are at loggerheads with ActionSA and its mayor, Nasiphi Moya, and are considering pulling out of the coalition arrangement.

The three parties have recently been at odds over a range of issues. But the fallout came to a head over a recent council vote that was meant to decide the fate of Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler, who has now been reinstated following a court decision.

Sources at the centre of the issue say the mayoral committee (Mayco), and the coalition’s political management committee (PMC) had unanimously agreed to vote to temporarily suspend Mettler over allegations that he had made several unlawful appointments.

They said the two structures had also agreed that Mettler had allegedly been “sabotaging” the coalition’s service-delivery projects aimed at economic growth and was no longer suitable for the position.

But to the shock of both the ANC and EFF, ActionSA and Moya are said to have “reneged” on the agreement, and ActionSA’s councillors voted against the decision to suspend Mettler.

Everything that we planned for our economic growth plans, our economic revitalisation strategy, has not been done. Especially those that came out of the investment summit. All the big projects, he has been sabotaging them

—  ANC leader

“ActionSA reneged on a decision that the Mayco caucus took to put the city manager on a precautionary suspension based on all the allegations that have been levelled against him — [that] he made irregular appointments,” said an ANC leader in Tshwane.

“This issue of Mettler was taken to the PMC, and the PMC agreed that is how we are moving: that the city manager is sabotaging this administration and he has made service delivery provision absolutely impossible. That’s why we were going for him. Of course, [along] with the other charges that he is facing that are there.”

Asked exactly what they meant by sabotage, the ANC leader said: “Everything that we planned for our economic growth plans, our economic revitalisation strategy, has not been done. Especially those that came out of the investment summit. All the big projects, he has been sabotaging them.”

This was a unanimous decision among all coalition partners going into the council meeting, the leader said.

“The PMC agreed; we came back and briefed our caucuses. They [ActionSA] also briefed their caucus that we are putting the city manager on a precautionary suspension. Lo and behold, the owner of ActionSA [the party’s national chair, Michael Beaumont] came and stopped everything, changed everything.”

An EFF insider confirmed that the coalition is under strain as they have “not been seeing eye to eye” — with the Mettler matter taking centre stage as one of the major sources of conflict.

Another issue raised by the insider is the alleged overbearing involvement of Moya’s boss, Beaumont. He has denied this claim and has dismissed the concerns of the ANC and EFF.

She [Moya] must calm Beaumont down. They are wanting us to be spectators in our own coalition

—  EFF source

Beaumont said that his party always held that suspending the city manager was a premature move and expressed joy that the court held the same view.

“ActionSA disagreed with our coalition partners on his suspension, the issue was taken to court and our perspective has been proven correct, that the suspension of the city manager was not warranted and is procedurally incorrect. As much as our coalition partners might feel aggrieved by the fact that we have been vindicated.”

The EFF source said: “She [Moya] must calm Beaumont down. They are wanting us to be spectators in our own coalition. We also have our leaders, but they give us space to lead. You don’t see our leaders insulting their party, voting outside of what was agreed in the coalition. They have this mentality that it’s their way or the highway.”

However, the EFF insider was confident that the coalition would survive until the end of its term.

“We have no intention of pulling out; it’s late already. Removing her [Moya] now is going to be useless; she is going to be made [out] to be some [kind of] martyr.

“We are going to keep her there, but she must feel the heat. It’s just that we want her to feel it; she is not in charge alone. This is a coalition.”

The EFF and ANC are also understood to be unhappy with Moya apparently “claiming credit” for the work that is being done by the mayoral committee members in their respective portfolios.

ANC Tshwane deputy regional chair and roads & transport MMC Tlangi Mogale confirmed that there were issues inside the coalition.

“We are subjecting all these issues to the PMC because ordinarily that’s where our issues get to be discussed. But we are disappointed at the inconsistency of our coalition partners, especially ActionSA,” she said.