Negotiations between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and its former coalition partners in Johannesburg ended in a not so great light yesterday, and this is according to party leader in the province, Solly Msimanga. The parties were meeting a day ahead of a council sitting where the mayor is expected to be elected.

Following the announcement of a meeting that would take place between the DA in Gauteng and its former coalition partners, one did not anticipate the Patriotic Alliance to be in attendance.

With the DA and PA having had a shaky couple of months within the city, with the PA even jumping ship to the ANC-led coalition in January, yesterday's meeting between the parties was no better.

According to Msimanga, the PA demanded that its Deputy President, Kenny Kunene be chosen as the preferred candidate for the mayoral position, as well as two Mayoral Committee positions.

"The DA rejected the demand for Kenny Kunene to be the Mayoral candidate, and reaffirmed our position that, in order to enter coalition negotiations with the DA, the PA would have to move out of the ambit of the ANC in nine municipalities around the country where the PA is in coalition with the ANC"- Solly Msimanga

Shortly after the discussion, the PA President, Gayton McKenzie was quoted on Twitter saying that his party would never distance itself from the ANC.

Meanwhile, with the DA-PA bridge seemingly burned down for good, there still seems to be trouble in paradise between ActionSA and the DA.

This is as the party is accusing the DA of collapsing discussions with the PA, adding that the party had their own vendeta to push it's own candidate forward.

According to the ActionSA chairperson, Michael Beaumont, conditions were forced upon the PA by the DA ahead of talks, adding that the DA is treating the city of Johannesburg like the Western Cape.

“The DA’s imposition of conditions upon the PA is all about how they position the PA in the Western Cape and ignores the fact that the PA were at the table in Joburg (for a second time in four months) to restore the coalition in Joburg‚” - Michael Beaumont

With Council expected to elect a new mayor today, Beaumont expressed that the PA has confirmed that it would be open to supporting its candidate Funzi Ngobeni today and with the ANC-EFF coalition still without a definite candidate, support from the PA could see Ngobeni become the city's first citizen today.

Will the PA live up to its side of the bargain and will the city of Johannesburg finally have a mayor by the end of today?