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ActionSA will abstain from the motion of no confidence being tabled against Dada Morero in Johannesburg. While his administration has been objectively disastrous, there is no clear or credible alternative plan for better government being presented and, as such, this motion risks becoming yet another round of musical chairs in the mayoralty, with no tangible benefit for residents.

ActionSA is fully prepared to participate in constructive efforts with parties in the City who are genuinely committed to reversing the decline in governance and service delivery. However, as has become the status quo, we find ourselves alone in this position, with other parties appearing singularly focused on power struggles and positions, using these motions as a means to that end.

We are particularly disturbed by last-minute late-night phone calls soliciting our votes from parties who have made no prior effort to engage with us and who have no clear governing plan for an alternative government. No effort was made to hold such engagements when this motion was first submitted and these same parties fell over themselves to assist the ANC in removing ActionSA from the position of Speaker in which the party was holding the failing government to account. It is simply unreasonable to expect support for removing a mayor while being completely unable to answer the most basic question of what comes next.

Given the severity of the governance and service delivery crisis in Johannesburg, this fundamental issue cannot be reduced to simply who occupies the mayoralty. It must centre on a concrete programme of action that can reverse the collapse in service delivery and ensure residents are front and centre.

Until ActionSA is satisfied that the interests of residents are principally at the heart of any such requests for our support, we will not entertain political manoeuvring by parties in a coalition that appears incapable of working together. ActionSA will not be responsible for inadvertently installing another Kabelo Gwamanda.

Residents of Joburg will recall that ActionSA adopted a similar approach to abstain when the DA brought a motion of no confidence which was equally ill-conceived because of a lack of engagement with other parties, and no plans for a governing alternative. Our consistency in our approach demonstrates the adherence to the principle that instability that parties that bring motions of no confidence have a duty to articulate a clear alternative and better governing plan.

ActionSA believes that residents deserve better than these never-ending theatrics, and we stand ready to support any well-thought-through plan backed by a credible turnaround strategy to fix Johannesburg and protect the best interests of residents. It does increasingly look like only an election that takes power from parties that have failed Joburg, and hands it to those with a record of fixing it, is going to get our city on the tight track again.

Issued by ActionSA Johannesburg Caucus leader Marcel Coutriers