EFF keeping ANC, DA in Tshwane vulnerable - analyst

The motion was instituted by the opposition African National Congress (ANC).

 

The ANC’s motion was a second failed attempt to remove Msimanga in less than a month, after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also failed to unseat the Democratic Alliance-led government in the city.

 

The EFF abstained from voting in favour of the latest motion of no confidence, allowing Msimanga to retain his position as executive mayor.

 

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga says despite the EFF’s bluster, the party does not really want to remove Msimanga as mayor.  

 

He believes the EFF is playing a political game in the city by refusing to entrench either the DA or the ANC in power in the metro.

 

"The EFF is the one that has been able to extract maximum political mileage out of this. The reason why Solly Msimanga is the mayor today is because of the EFF. The ANC wants to remove him, but the ANC cannot do that without the EFF," says Mathekga.

 

This, he says, leaves both the DA and the ANC politically vulnerable.

 

"The DA is vulnerable in a sense if they cross the EFF in a wrong way, Solly Msimanga is out. The ANC needs the EFF to carry any change in the city of Tshwane."

 

Mathekga adds that the EFF’s objective at this stage is not the implementation of any projects, but rather how the other two parties are portrayed to voters.

 

He says even though the many of the ANC and DA policies are fairly similar to each other, a grand coalition government between the two parties is "unthinkable".

 

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