ActionSA welcomes 200 ex-ANC members as local elections heat up
· Citizen
The political playing field is becoming more competitive as parties start upping their game with the local government elections on 4 November less than three months away.
Yesterday, ActionSA Joburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba officially welcomed a group of what he described as 200 disillusioned ANC members in Thembelihle, Lenasia, as part of his campaign in the run-up to the elections.
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Mashaba claims 200 disillusioned ANC members join ActionSA
“These ANC members are joining ActionSA with certainty that we are the only viable alternative that can rescue Johannesburg from chronic misgovernance under the leadership of mayor Dada Morero,” he said.
“The growing sentiment among residents is that the politics of self-interest must end. This momentous occasion symbolises a future that holds promise for a better life for residents, regardless of their postcode.
“Now more than ever, residents need an experienced and bold leader who will restore the city to its former glory. ActionSA has a clear plan to bring back dignity to our communities through jobs, delivering basic services and restoring law and order,” he said.
North-West University political lecturer Prof Benjamin Rapanyane said Mashaba was politicking with the intention of causing panic in ANC circles.
“It might potentially lead to a rift between the two coalition partners.
“What else can announcing that step do, except unnecessary panic? Mashaba knows very well that it is politicking.
Genuine change or same politics wearing different colours?
“There is no way ANC members of that magnitude wake up today and decide to agree to leave the ANC,” he said.
Political analyst Rene Oosthuizen cautioned against confusing 200 ANC defections to ActionSA with genuine political change.
“Parties are very quick to turn disillusioned defectors from other parties into political victories, especially ahead of elections,” she said.
“I would argue that the real question voters need to ask themselves is, are we really seeing political change, or simply the same politics wearing different colours?”
Political expert Piet Croucamp said while people will never know what the real situation was, often people leave a party for reasons that might be a little more obscure than they would like to portray in the media.
“Whatever the case may be, this is the type of activity that makes the necessary propaganda for political parties such as ActionSA.
Necessary propaganda
“It is a legitimate way of operating and there’s no doubt that the ANC is under enormous pressure as far as trust is concerned.
“Other opposition political parties will want to cash in on that,” he said.
Croucamp said ActionSA did well in its first election outing in 2022 but then lost pace in the May 2024 election.
He added that there’s much political capital to make of the ANC’s weaknesses and ActionSA is well placed to do so.