Herman Mashaba considers leaving ActionSA as party leaders engage in talks with the ANC

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba. Picture: Itumeleng English African News Agency (ANA)

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba. Picture: Itumeleng English African News Agency (ANA)

Published Oct 11, 2022

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ActionSA president Herman Mashaba could soon resign from his party following disagreements with senior leaders of the party on partnering with the ANC in some municipalities.

ActionSA is engaged in a public consultation process where the party is seeking a mandate from its lower structures on how to approach coalitions.

Mashaba said if the public consultations come out with the result that ActionSA should work with the ANC, he would leave the party.

According to sources, Mashaba has been planning on leaving ActionSA for some time due to financial constraints.

The Star understands that some of his party leaders such as Michael Beaumont and Bongani Baloyi have been engaging the ANC behind Mashaba’s back.

Upon his arrival from Kenya last week, Mashaba discovered that there were already talks with the ANC under way. He was not pleased with that.

Mashaba has been funding the party with his own money and it is said that his wife, Connie Mashaba, was not happy with that. He also faced the challenge of paying some senior members exorbitant salaries from his own pocket.

ActionSA spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi said he could not rule out that Mashaba could leave the party, but he stressed the point that Mashaba had said he would only leave the party should the consultation process force him to work with the ANC.

“There are discussions about our approach to coalitions, his remarks were that if the public participation process and Actioneers want us to go coalition with the ANC, he will consider his participation in the party, that’s what he is saying,” Mgobozi said.

Mgobozi said he was not sure when the public participation process would end, but he said the public would be kept informed of the results of the process.

Mashaba has always maintained his dislike for the ANC, calling members of the party thieves, but the tension between the party and the DA and the fall of the coalition arrangement in Johannesburg has forced ActionSA to reconsider the manner in which they approach coalitions.