ActionSA president Herman Mashaba says anyone wanting to contest him for the party leadership position will have to wait until after the 2024 general elections.
Mashaba was speaking during ActionSA’s media briefing where he announced that the party would hold an inaugural policy conference in September between the 12th and 14 at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, where 609 delegates are expected to attend.
During the briefing, Mashaba said while it was easy to form a new political party, less than 1% of them succeeded.
“At the heart of the problem is that many of these new parties succumb to internal leadership battles, while failing to focus on the work of putting forward a credible alternative that will take South Africa forward,” he said.
Since ActionSA was formed in August 2020, it has never held an elective conference and this will the first policy conference.
According to the party’s interim constitution, the inaugural people’s convention shall take place within nine months after the 2024 national government elections, thereafter the convention shall meet every five years.
It further states that a membership audit must confirm that branches have been established in 70% of the wards of the country before the people’s convention can be called or upon the presentation of a resolution signed by 60% of the members of the party.
The people's convention may not be held 18 months prior to an election.
Mashaba said the constitution was deliberately drafted like this to ensure there is no leadership squabble ahead of the 2024 elections.
"When you run an elective conference, it really has to be a representation of the whole nation and not just Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
"If we want to have a successful 2024, do we focus on having an elective conference for the sake of it? Our view was deliberate and was the right strategy [to hold off on the elective conference]. Our focus as ActionSA right now is to really make an impact in the 2024 election. We'll only have an elective conference after 2024, right now we don't have the time and the luxury and there's no need whatsoever.
"We've made it clear to people who want elective conferences that please, go to parties where there's elective conferences. This party was started from the People's Dialogue given a mandate by 2.4-million South Africans," Mashaba said.
On the post-2024 election outcomes and possible coalitions, Mashaba said he believed that no party would received 50+1 majority or even 40% for that matter.
"SA has entered into the era of coalitions and we've accepted that fact. But I want to make it clear that ActionSA will not work with the ANC in all three spheres of government. We won't really work with the EFF at national or provincial government.
"I worked very well with the EFF at local government level. When I was mayor of Johannesburg we had the most stable coalition and without any doubt the EFF was the most supportive. At a local government level we deal with budgets and decide which roads we're going to fix and potholes that need to be fixed.
"The reason we won't work with the EFF at provincial or national level is because our policy offerings are different. I can't work with a party that says our banks must be owned by government or that the land on which my house stands must be owned by the state. I don't want to waste their time or mine but at local government level, absolutely and anytime because there are no policy disputes," Mashaba said.
nkosin@sowetan.co.za
ActionSA set to hold inaugural policy conference in September
SA has entered the era of coalitions and we accept that – Mashaba
Image: Gallo Images/Darren Stewart
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba says anyone wanting to contest him for the party leadership position will have to wait until after the 2024 general elections.
Mashaba was speaking during ActionSA’s media briefing where he announced that the party would hold an inaugural policy conference in September between the 12th and 14 at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, where 609 delegates are expected to attend.
During the briefing, Mashaba said while it was easy to form a new political party, less than 1% of them succeeded.
“At the heart of the problem is that many of these new parties succumb to internal leadership battles, while failing to focus on the work of putting forward a credible alternative that will take South Africa forward,” he said.
Since ActionSA was formed in August 2020, it has never held an elective conference and this will the first policy conference.
According to the party’s interim constitution, the inaugural people’s convention shall take place within nine months after the 2024 national government elections, thereafter the convention shall meet every five years.
It further states that a membership audit must confirm that branches have been established in 70% of the wards of the country before the people’s convention can be called or upon the presentation of a resolution signed by 60% of the members of the party.
The people's convention may not be held 18 months prior to an election.
Mashaba said the constitution was deliberately drafted like this to ensure there is no leadership squabble ahead of the 2024 elections.
"When you run an elective conference, it really has to be a representation of the whole nation and not just Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
"If we want to have a successful 2024, do we focus on having an elective conference for the sake of it? Our view was deliberate and was the right strategy [to hold off on the elective conference]. Our focus as ActionSA right now is to really make an impact in the 2024 election. We'll only have an elective conference after 2024, right now we don't have the time and the luxury and there's no need whatsoever.
"We've made it clear to people who want elective conferences that please, go to parties where there's elective conferences. This party was started from the People's Dialogue given a mandate by 2.4-million South Africans," Mashaba said.
On the post-2024 election outcomes and possible coalitions, Mashaba said he believed that no party would received 50+1 majority or even 40% for that matter.
"SA has entered into the era of coalitions and we've accepted that fact. But I want to make it clear that ActionSA will not work with the ANC in all three spheres of government. We won't really work with the EFF at national or provincial government.
"I worked very well with the EFF at local government level. When I was mayor of Johannesburg we had the most stable coalition and without any doubt the EFF was the most supportive. At a local government level we deal with budgets and decide which roads we're going to fix and potholes that need to be fixed.
"The reason we won't work with the EFF at provincial or national level is because our policy offerings are different. I can't work with a party that says our banks must be owned by government or that the land on which my house stands must be owned by the state. I don't want to waste their time or mine but at local government level, absolutely and anytime because there are no policy disputes," Mashaba said.
nkosin@sowetan.co.za
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