Patriotic Alliance deputy president and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Kenny Kunene says DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille is out of touch with reality and playing cheap politics after she said the DA would never go into coalition with the PA in Johannesburg.
Speaking to Africa Daily on Wednesday Kunene said no party can afford to rule out any coalition partner ahead of the local government elections, pointing to the current hung councils across the country.
“If the mandate of the people says you need to find each other and work together so be it,” Kunene said.
“There is no party that can say they are not going to go into a coalition with so and so.”
He said the EFF had learned that lesson the hard way.
“The EFF had said they were not going to go into coalition during the last LGE elections but they were forced to do it with us and here we are in coalition with them,” Kunene said.
“Cape Town is an example. We have a big following there and you will find they need us there more than we need them.”
Kunene launched an attack on Zille personally, accusing her of using black voters to serve white interests.
“No party should say they will not go into a coalition. So let’s not listen to Helen Zille because according to her black people and coloured people are a no means to an end. She wants the vote of black people to go and service white people,” he said.
He accused the DA of being arrogant in coalitions.
“When voters gave us a mandate to go into a coalition we did so and went with the DA first and the DA didn’t want to implement the mandate. They wanted to be the supremacist. Wanted to act like the big brother. The boss which does not work in a coalition,” Kunene said.
Kunene said coalition politics is about respecting the voter’s mandate, not personal preferences.
Zille has previously stated that the DA would not work with the PA in Johannesburg, citing ideological differences and governance concerns.
Her comments come as parties jostle for position ahead of what is expected to be a highly contested election where no party is likely to win an outright majority in the major metros.
The PA is currently in coalition governments with the ANC and EFF in several municipalities, including Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, after previously working with the DA-led multi-party coalition following the 2021 elections.
Kunene’s party has grown significantly since the last local elections, particularly in Cape Town where it is eating into both the DA and ANC vote.
Analysts say the DA’s public refusal to work with the PA could backfire if the numbers force negotiations.
Zille and DA Gauteng legislature member Nicol van Dyk were approached for comment on Kunene’s assertions, but had not responded at the time of publication.
