ActionSA, Herman Mashaba’s new political party, has officially registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The party registered yesterday, following its launch at the end of last month.
In a statement released by the party Mashaba said: ‘We have registered as a political party at a national level, across all 9 provinces, because our ultimate goal – irrespective of where we contest next year’s local government election – will be to challenge for national power in the 2024 General Elections. Our registration is yet another milestone in this project to deliver a real alternative to the people of South Africa, who have been failed by their political system, and have expressed their wishes for ActionSA to be the party to unite our country around a vision for a prosperous future. I believe it is highly appropriate that we register this party the day after President Ramaphosa announced the move to level 1 lockdown regulations, because we will dedicate ActionSA to being the party of economic solutions that will create jobs and prosperity for all South Africans.’
Mashaba, a former Johannesburg mayor serving on a Democratic Alliance ticket, left the party last year, after the election of former leader, Helen Zille, as federal chairperson of the party.
Some analysts have noted that while the policy proposals put forward by his party, such as non-racialism and the free market, are to be welcomed, there have been question marks about Mashaba’s commitment to these principles, given some of his utterances on social media and his cosy relationship with the Economic Freedom Fighters while Johannesburg mayor.