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ActionSA’s Mashaba and Beaumont won’t be going to Parliament
ActionSA leaders Herman Mashaba and Michael Beaumont will step back from Parliament to grow the party, focusing on the 2026 local government elections.
ActionSA President, Herman Mashaba at an event held at Newtown Junction to announce the ActionSA Gauteng Premier candidate, Funzi Ngobeni, 29 February 2024. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba and national chairperson Michael Beaumont will not be going to Parliament.
In a statement on Wednesday, the party announced that Mashaba and Beaumont will focus on growing the party.
Mashaba and Beaumont not on MPs list
Following their first general election, ActionSA garnered 630 000 votes and secured six seats in Parliament.
With parties expected to hand over their list of members of the National Assembly to Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on Thursday, Mashaba and Beaumont will not be on the list.
The party said that its senate has convened to consider how ActionSA can be most effective in this new political climate.
“As a component of these deliberations, ActionSA has assembled a team with a wealth of experience in critical areas such as community development, health, governance, finance, and economic development who will be representing ActionSA in the National Assembly,” it said.
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ActionSA expressed confidence in the team’s ability to guarantee that its policies are reflected in legislation throughout the upcoming five-year period. This team includes former Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Athol Trollip.
ActionSA step up as opposition
With discussions underway regarding coalitions between the ANC and other parties, ActionSA said it is going to need to step up and be an opposition.
“This will require every ActionSA member of Parliament to serve on many committees and to work tirelessly to hold the government to account.”
Mashaba and Beaumont will focus exclusively on generating ActionSA’s growth in the 2026 local government elections.
“ActionSA is not party-oriented around positions and perks of office. Our objection is to build a strong non-racial alternative to the ANC, which is the focus of the leadership in ActionSA.
“In the environment where the opposition is negotiating with the ANC, ActionSA’s leaders remain more committed to this objective than ever before,” the party said.
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