Senior ActionSA member quits Herman Mashaba’s party to join DA

ActionSA has been dealt a blow after a senior member quit the party and would be joining the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane.

This was announced by DA communications manager Franco van der Berg on Sunday.

Name to be announced

Van der Berg did not disclose the name of the ActionSA member.

“We cannot reveal who the member is as yet, and we cannot disclose the reasons why he/she has left ActionSA and is joining the DA. That will be revealed during the press briefing.”

Van der Berg said the new DA member would be accompanied by the party’s Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga, DA Tshwane chief whip, Ofentse Madzebatela, and the party’s Tshwane chairperson, Jacqui Uys.

The Citizen has contacted ActionSA for comment. This will be included into the story once received

ActionSA struggling

ActionSA has experienced turbulence, with a number of members quitting the party.

In August, 22 ActionSA provincial executive committee (PEC) members deserted the party, led by Herman Mashaba.

Instead of entertaining the aggrieved members, Mashaba preferred to stick with his self-recruited ally and a traditional leader, the party’s North West chair Kwena Mangope, who is the son of the late Bophuthatswana leader, Lucas Mangope.

‘Dictatorial leadership’

The PEC members, who resigned with immediate effect, cited Mangope’s “dictatorial” leadership style.

“We are doing so as individuals and as a collective. Moreover, we will also be encouraging ordinary members who fall under the banner of Save North West Campaign to do the same,” they said in a statement.

“The circumstances that have led to us resigning are due to the party’s intention to purge and threaten members of this group with notices/letters to invoke certain clauses of the party’s interim constitution to terminate our membership.”

After the group complained about Mangope, they were allegedly threatened with disciplinary action by the party’s senate, the highest decision-making body between party national congresses.

They were given a few hours to state why no action should be taken against them. But the members decided to resign immediately.

ActionSA members return

However, in October, more than 70 community activists from across Gauteng, most notably from Soweto, who had left the party, returned.

Among the returning activists were members previously dismissed for past conduct and others who had left the party “out of frustration for various reasons”, said the party.

In response to their concerns, Mashaba reiterated his intention to recognise hard workers “appropriately”, with some potentially being deployed to serve their communities in local government.