ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says the party’s association with the Democratic Alliance (DA) through the Moonshot Pact contributed to its decline in support.

Mashaba made the remarks during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Tuesday, ahead of the 4 November Local Government Elections.

ActionSA received 2.48% of the vote in the 2021 local government elections. Its support fell to 1.20% in the 2024 national and provincial elections.

HERMAN MASHABA SAYS MOONSHOT PACT COST ACTIONSA VOTES

During the interview, Mashaba said he had previously warned that ActionSA would face consequences for its association with the DA through the Moonshot Pact.

“We got punished. The black voters said they will not vote for ActionSA because if we give our votes to ActionSA, they’re going to give our votes to the DA. So, we got punished for that and that is why we’re making it very, very clear. I want South Africans to know that ActionSA is a completely independent political organisation,” he said.

The Moonshot Pact was formed by several opposition parties ahead of the 2024 national elections, with the parties seeking to provide an alternative to the African National Congress (ANC). ActionSA was among the parties involved.

Despite his criticism of the previous arrangement, Mashaba said ActionSA remained open to working with other political parties, including the DA.

“We are willing to work with anyone, including the DA, as long as they can deal with the Helen Zille issue,” Mashaba said, referring to DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille.

LGE 2026 | Herman Mashaba says ActionSA's ties to the DA cost the party votes, but says future coalition is possible if the "Helen Zille issue" is resolved. pic.twitter.com/vJw6jAP3nr

— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 29, 2026

ACTIONSA LEADER ALSO IN THE RACE FOR JOBURG MAYORAL CHAIN

Herman Mashaba is ActionSA’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg in the upcoming local government elections.

He previously served as Johannesburg mayor from 2016 to 2019 while representing the DA before resigning from the party.

ActionSA is among the parties contesting the City of Johannesburg, where 80 parties are registered to contest proportional representation seats in the 2026 local government elections, according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Several political parties have already announced their candidates as they prepare for what is expected to be a highly competitive Johannesburg mayoral race.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has selected Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng as its mayoral candidate while the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has also entered the Johannesburg mayoral race for the first time, selecting Mlungisi Mabaso as its candidate.

Other parties contesting the mayoral race include Rise Mzansi, which has named Lukhona Mnguni; Build One South Africa (BOSA), which has selected Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster; the Land Party, which has selected Ntsiki Mazwai; and Al Jama-ah, which has named Shireen Ebrahim.