Background
Just two weeks after the local elections which made ActionSA the kingmakers of the coalition talks, voters of the political party which was once small are doubting its leader Herman Mashaba.
Mashaba managed to win hearts after he promised potential voters that he will get rid of illegal immigrants by deporting them back to their countries, however, associating with pro-White political parties has left many of the voters that brought his party into power in doubtful, accusing Mashaba of giving power to FF-Plus and the DA.
His members are reassuring South Africans that they are only involving these parties because they see beyond skin colour and that they will not allow their coalition partners to belittle or rather undermine them.
Report
ActionSA voters are not the only ones that are upset. According to reports, several ActionSA councilor candidates have been served with termination letters. This has not sat well with them and they have taken their grievances to the media, accusing Mashaba of only keeping his closest allies in the party while showing the rest of them the door.
While chatting to a news reporter regarding their grievances, they say that they are the ones who were working hard and managed to convince voters to vote for ActionSA in the elections, that the masses voted for them and not ActionSA thus do not understand why their hard work has gone in vain.
They allege that Mashaba is bringing in strangers to lead in the party and communities after they helped him win, that PR candidates were fired regardless of all their effort.
Ziyakhala…. pic.twitter.com/VvlFUyp65n
— Bra Hloni (@HonourableHloni) November 15, 2021
Public’s Opinion
The masses are standing with the fired councilor candidates, saying that Mashaba used them to put his political party into power but axes them now that his party has grown. However, others are saying that these councilor candidates were only looking for positions hence they are upset, that they had not the intention of serving the people but to get high payments.
Author’s Opinion
Many political parties are dominated by factionalism and political battles. Voters have to choose who they want as councilor candidates, not the political party. If voters were involved in the daily running of the Country and be part of decision-making, factionalism would be avoided.
Regarding the infighting in ActionSA, it seems that the fired candidates do not know how things work. Firstly, to be a ward councilor candidate for any political party, you have to be registered with the IEC. If you win that ward outright, no one can stop you from going to council.
ActionSA did not win any Wards in Johannesburg yet these candidates expect to go to the council when they lost their wards to other political parties. A PR councilor candidate list is a prerogative for the party. All political parties decide internally who to put on that list.
We have seen the same with COPE. A different cast, same script.