DA, ActionSA trade blows as 'underperforming’ ward councillor crosses the floor
The political temperature in Johannesburg has been turned up a notch following the DA’s announcement that it had recruited an ActionSA councillor.
The political temperature in Johannesburg has been turned up a notch following the DA’s announcement that it had recruited an ActionSA councillor.
The DA mayor candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille, welcomed the Dobsonville councillor, Mandla Nyqela, to the party on Thursday.
However, shortly after the announcement, ActionSA said it “welcomed” Nyqela’s defection, claiming he had been underperforming and subject to disciplinary action within the Herman Mashaba-led party.
Nyqela was joined by ActionSA’s branch chair from Ward 37, Sipho Magubane, along with the chairs of four other branches and fifty former ActionSA activists.
Nyqela had rejoined ActionSA in October 2024 as the councillor of Ward 75 in Johannesburg.
During the DA’s briefing, the former councillor said he has grown tired of misleading the residents of Dobsonville.
“Only the Democratic Alliance can take this country forward. I was not expelled from ActionSA. I resigned this morning as a councillor… I do not want to continue lying to the residents of Dobsonville that they must vote for ActionSA and later regret it.”
Zille said the party welcomes Mandla Nyqela and five more councillors as new members.
“We look forward to working with them in our bid to ensure that Joburg becomes the great city that it can be through proper government and good service delivery, and we are looking forward to the growing number of DA branches in Soweto that will be assisted by the many people who are joining us from other parties.”
However, ActionSA described the departure as “timely”.
“ActionSA welcomes the timely departure of a single councillor in the City of Johannesburg following ongoing performance management reviews, which included disciplinary processes before the party,” said ActionSA Joburg caucus leader Marcel Coutriers.
Coutriers added that the party will not harbour “underperforming” public representatives, stating that the party respects hardworking and accountable leaders, but not those “where even the most basic expectations are not met.”
ActionSA also thanked the DA for “relieving” them of Nyqela, as the performance management reviews are ongoing.
“ActionSA thanks the DA for saving us the trouble of a lengthy disciplinary process, while also providing the perfect opportunity to shortly introduce an exceptional, committed community activist into council.”
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