In an interview with City Press this week, ActionSA leader Herman Mashabadefended his party's delayed internal elections.
He confirmed that internal leadership elections had not taken place since ActionSA's formation in 2021, citing early issues with the party's free membership model.
"Our activists in most areas ended up just registering people who were not really serious members," he said.
As a corrective measure, the party introduced a R10 annual membership fee in September. The aim, Mashaba said, was to ensure that only genuine, committed members participate in the party's upcoming conference.
He said:
There's no point in going into an elective conference with my family. You need to go into an elective conference when you have real, committed members.
The issue of party conferences returned to the spotlight after the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), now South Africa's third-largest party, announced it had no intention of holding an elective conference anytime soon. MKP leader Jacob Zuma argued that conferences often create divisions and can be "bought", something the party could not afford as it tries to stabilise and expand nationwide.
The MKP's decision had sparked questions about internal democracy and long-term stability. It also raised concerns about the legitimacy of its current leadership and whether the party had a succession plan in place.
READ: Zuma defends Shivambu's defection, dismisses elective conference to combat vote-buying
GNU AND CABINET CONCERNS
Mashaba also addressed the party's stance on the government of national unity (GNU), clarifying that ActionSA's support for the scrapping of the 0.5 percentage point VAT hike did not signal a shift towards joining the governing alliance.
He said:
We didn't vote to save the ANC. We voted for what we believed was best for South Africans. We didn't ask [for] anything from the ANC. It was about our country. Where we saw extortion and betrayal, we chose to stand with the people of South Africa.
While ActionSA supported the fiscal framework - on the condition that the proposed VAT hike be reviewed within 30 days - the party remains outside the GNU.
"We declined the GNU invitation because we believe this country needs a strong opposition. But if the GNU collapses and they ask us to govern, we'll engage - with strict preconditions."
Among those conditions, he said, was a drastic reduction of what he called a bloated Cabinet.
He said:
We won't join a government built to accommodate everyone. It must be lean, effective; and our conditions must be legally binding. We won't sign on for a vague statement of intent.
Responding to earlier critics who said ActionSA was "duped" by the ANC during the budget vote negotiations, Mashaba pushed back: "There's this narrative that we were hoodwinked and lied to. But we were the ones who proposed that fiscal framework in the standing committee on finance. It was democratically agreed upon, including in Parliament the next day."
He reiterated that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was given 30 days to consider ActionSA's submission.
He added:
It's up to those spreading that narrative to explain why they used their platforms to lie to South Africans. If that's the kind of journalism we're allowing in this country, it's unfortunate.
Even as ActionSA positions itself as a future governing party, Mashaba acknowledges the realities of coalition politics.
"Give us the mandate, even if it's not a majority. We've embraced coalitions, but give us enough seats so we can govern effectively. This country deserves better, and we are ready to deliver that through honest leadership."
READ: Godongwana will not be fired says Mbalula as ANC backs Treasury's VAT reversal
LIMPOPO PUSH AND VOTER EDUCATION
Yesterday, ActionSA launched four new branches in Limpopo, a province long dominated by the ANC. It did so in wards seven and nine in the Molemole constituency (Botlokwa village), ward 19 in the Collins Chabane constituency (Khakhanwa village), and ward 22 in the same constituency (Gandlanani village).
Today, they will launch a branch in ward 27 of the Greater Giyani constituency (Xitlakati village).
Mashaba said his party wasn't chasing power for its own sake:
We want to fix what's broken. We serve with integrity and professionalism - even in a coalition.
He raised concerns about low voter turnout in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, saying many people were disengaged and unaware of the power of their vote.
"Our strategy is to educate and mobilise. We want to get more people in Limpopo and other provinces to come out and vote in numbers. Because, where ActionSA governs, we govern - and we govern for the majority, especially poor communities."
Mashaba cited his tenure as Johannesburg mayor (2016 to 2019) and recent improvements in Tshwane under ActionSA mayor Nasiphi Moya as proof:
Look at what the mayor has done in six to 10 months to a city that was really broken.
READ: Tshwane mayor declares: 'Every resident deserves a roof over their head and basic services'
He acknowledged that most municipalities in Limpopo faced revenue shortfalls and depended heavily on national and provincial grants.
"To change that, we'll appoint professionals and ethical leaders. Corruption is the biggest reason Limpopo residents aren't getting the services they deserve. We'll stop it. And we'll put qualified people in municipalities - people who are in politics to serve, not to enrich themselves."
