Give smaller parties the same chance you fought for: Maimane lambastes DA at Bosa launch

Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane has rejected the DA’s suggestion that smaller political parties should be barred from political positions if they don’t meet a threshold of votes from the electorate.

DA leader John Steenhuisen had recently suggested that smaller political parties fragment the voter composition and should not receive electoral seats should they not meet a proposed threshold, saying coalitions give smaller parties disproportionate power.

Speaking at the party’s launch in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, on Thursday, Maimane lambasted the DA for the suggestion, saying the very same party fought against a similar proposal in 1994, which would’ve seen the blue party not qualify to be in the National Assembly as they received 1.7% voter support at the time.

“The moment you introduce a threshold, you discard a citizen view by disqualifying parties that receive voter support. That effectively means you are marginalising citizen voices, which cannot be the case,” he said.

Maimane maintained the recent outbreak of collapsing coalitions was unfortunate, but better governance could make them work.

“When I worked with the DA in 2016 and we put together a coalition in Johannesburg, it was not easy, but there was a level of stability. We had a mayor all the way throughout that period, however difficult it was until then, Herman Mashaba [former DA Johannesburg mayor and current ActionSA president] left,” he said.

Maimane said the coalition arrangement worked because despite a binding agreement in place, there was constant communication and collaboration with partners.

“The agreement was signed by all the leaders, but it was important to engage and work with the leaders. I got the best advice from the Dutch prime minister, who said to me: the first thing you’ve got to do is always make sure you meet your coalition partners regularly, even though there's nothing to talk about.”

He was disappointed that the coalitions of the day talked to each other through the media and there was no engagement. He suggested there instead be regular press conferences from coalition partners to tell communities what they have and have not done.

Maimane also criticised municipal administration from cosying up to and being captured by the politics of the coalition. To aid this, he hopes to introduce the strengthening of the bureaucracy by the public service commission.

“Even though you might have three or four mayors, the city manager of Johannesburg must not feel like he must be aligned to whatever the faction of the day is.”

Coalition arrangements, discussions and meetings should take place in full view of the public to avoid the “backdoor deals” among parties, he suggested.

He also took a hit at newly appointed Joburg MMC for transport Kenny Kunene for being speechless when asked about his plans for the office shortly after being sworn in.

Kunene was recently asked what he planned to achieve in his office, and in response he asked for more time to adapt and meet coalition partners to set service delivery priorities.

In response, Maimane said: “Didn't you have a plan at the start of government as to what you would do for transport? If you in fact had a plan, it doesn’t matter in some ways who comes in as the MMC of whatever. That person must effect the plan that was drawn up prior to contestation so that citizens aren’t the last to benefit from you taking up office.

“It’s nice to be in power and get a position — you might even get nice security — but what are the aims and goals for the office you are to occupy and have no plan to deliver services?

“It’s not just about a manifesto and values. If we don’t arrive at that plan, what ends up happening is that parties end up haggling over positions, which is a disgrace.”

Maimane said it was premature to declare which parties Bosa would work with and which to avoid ahead of the 2024 coalition government possibility, adding it would be amiss to predict electoral outcomes.

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