ActionSA in trouble as 22 party leaders leave the party

ActionSA is the latest party to experience turmoil, with almost all of the country's major political parties gripped by unrest.

This happened after party leaders in the northwest resigned en masse in protest.

A total of 22 members of ActionSA’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) have left the party led by Herman Mashaba.

ActionSA stands by the leader

Rather than address the disgruntled members, Mashaba preferred to stick with his self-recruited ally and traditional leader, the party's North West chairman Kwena Mangope, the son of the late Bophuthatswana leader Lucas Mangope.

The 22 PEC members resigned with immediate effect on Wednesday, citing Mangope's dictatorial leadership style.

“We are doing this as individuals and as a collective. In addition, we will also encourage ordinary members who join the Save North West campaign to do the same,” they said in a statement.

“The circumstances that led to our resignation are due to the party's intention to single out the members of this group and to threaten them with notices/letters to invoke certain clauses of the party's interim constitution and thus terminate our membership.”

After the group complained about Mangope, it was reportedly threatened with disciplinary action by the party's Senate, the highest decision-making body between national party congresses.

They were given a few hours to explain why no action should be taken against them, but the members decided to resign immediately.

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The group tried to vent their complaints

Their offence was to request a meeting with Mangope to discuss governance issues, the 2024 election outcome in the north-west of the country, his alleged dictatorial tendencies and the dismissal of senior provincial leaders.

They also requested an audience with Mashaba, national party leader Michael Beaumont and the Senate to have their complaints against Mangope heard.

But all this was in vain, “even though we followed all the protocol,” they said.

Allegations against Mangope, the only member of the North West Provincial Legislature from Mahikeng represented by ActionSA, include that he unconstitutionally and procured the resignation or dismissal of a large number of provincial, regional and constituency leaders.

He then hired his own people.

ActionSA spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi said: “We are aware of this matter and are following due process. That is all we are saying at this time.”

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