Watch live: Herman Mashaba launches new political party

Former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba is launching his new party, the People’s Dialogue, today.

The new party has attracted interest across the board as Mashaba has lambasted many of his political rivals since leaving office.

Analysts have mixed feelings about the political future of the new political party, though they concur that there is need for a party that will bring alternatives to voters disgruntled with the ANC.

UPDATE: Mashaba launches People’s Dialogue, ropes in former ANC leaders

They say if future leaders united and came up with good alternative policies, a party could get massive support, because people were desperate for an alternative to the ANC, DA and EFF.

Political analyst Prof Lesiba Teffo previously said Mashaba was the right leader to provide that alternative due to the credibility he built for himself as then Johannesburg mayor. Teffo said while it was too early to talk in terms of votes, there was a great potential for Mashaba and his new party to outdo the ANC in the metros or the big cities.

Political analyst Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast, from Stellenbosch University, said Mashaba had both strengths and weaknesses, but his anti-immigrant stance could affect him. Breakfast said he was a leader to trust because he was a man of his word.

“He honours his promises. If he says something, he will do itThat kind of a person is a leader you can trust,” Breakfast said.

(Background reporting by Eric Naki.)

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