In the previous municipal elections, Zille’s party did not perform as well as hoped.
DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille posted this week that when she dons the chain mail, she won’t work with the ANC, EFF or uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
That leaves little room for anyone, with significant bedmates limited to ActionSA, the Freedom Front Plus, the Patriotic Alliance and smaller parties and ratepayers associations.
Limited coalition options in Johannesburg
There’s no love lost between ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba and Zille, though, with the former’s online commentary consistently taking digs at the DA and still pushing the notion that ActionSA will harvest more votes from the party.
In the previous municipal elections, Zille’s party did not perform as well as hoped. Yet the DA’s losses in 2021 are framed as a temporary glitch rather than a long-term decline.
Zille said the party believes some lost voters will return. She also positioned the 2026 local government elections as a decision about governance rather than ideology, arguing Johannesburg’s condition is evidence enough.
“This election is about saving our cities. And the DA has a track record of doing that.”
Johannesburg is where Zille and Mashaba will face off. But, based on the numbers and the slide from 2021 to 2024, Zille said the space ActionSA occupies has not held as expected.
“More and more voters have seen through Herman Mashaba,” she said.
She also drew a line between organisational depth and political positioning. “We are a functional party with elected leadership and a national footprint. They aren’t.”
Mashaba’s ‘EFFLite’ tone
She also noted Mashaba’s time as mayor. “When he was mayor of Joburg he became known as the EFF mayor.”
Reputationally, said netnographer Carmen Murray, Mashaba has not shaken that perception and his tone online reads as “EFFLite”.
But ActionSA’s Athol Trollip rejected this.
“The numbers do tell a story of decline after its entry as a disruptor five years ago,” Murray said.
ActionSA defends its trajectory
ActionSA, however, rejects the idea that it’s on shaky ground. “We are a five-year-old party and are proud of our six seats,” Trollip said, noting older parties took decades to match that.
“What we’ve done with six seats is unparalleled as a constructive opposition.”
Trollip also rejected claims that support comes mainly from former DA voters. “Our biggest support comes from disillusioned ANC voters, or those who stopped voting,” he said.
“We will again do well in Gauteng metros,” he said, citing Tshwane as proof of governance credentials.
“We’ve done well by almost every metric in Tshwane and this will create momentum across Gauteng.”
Governance and coalition leverage
Governance remains central, he said, especially on appointments and accountability. “We will not appoint cadres to key positions. We will appoint capable people and remove corrupt officials,” he said, pointing to the removal of a Tshwane MMC after corruption allegations.
The DA also faces pressure from the Freedom Front Plus, which says it is attracting disillusioned DA voters seeking clearer direction.
Leader Corné Mulder said the party has seen steady growth and could act as a coalition kingmaker in a fragmented environment.
Trollip said ActionSA would not enter coalitions lightly. “Wherever we are kingmakers, we will choose partners aligned to our values, especially service delivery, tackling corruption and addressing undocumented immigration and the illicit economy.”
Zille said coalition instability rests with voters. “It is up to voters whether we end up in unstable coalitions. Do they want chaos or to give the DA a mandate.”
The MK party was dismissed by both as unstable.
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