Lincoln Machaba resigns from ‘racial denialist’ DA, joins ActionSA

DA Youth chairperson in the Johannesburg region Lincoln Machaba became the latest member to join Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA after he announced his resignation from the party on Tuesday.

Machaba follows in the steps of former Gauteng DA leader John Moodey, who joined ActionSA earlier last month.

The now-former DA member – who also represented the party in the Johannesburg council – said in a statement his decision came in light of the DA federal congress at the weekend.

He accused the DA of “abandoning the principle of diversity” and further said the party was also abandoning “the project of being a serious contender to the ANC.”

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“As the regional y0outh chairperson in Johannesburg, I have been constantly inundated by young members of the DA who are distraught at the direction of the DA and its racial denialism.

“They feel forgotten by the DA, left behind and shut out of the organisation by its re-branding as the Freedom Front Minus,” he said.

Machaba said he decided to join the ActionSA only as a member and volunteer.

“I am deeply moved by ActionSA’s commitment to being a home for young people and it is already clear the youth of South Africa are aligning themselves to ActionSA.

“I have complete conviction that ActionSA is destined to become the political movement the young people have been waiting for, an organisation that will reflect the diversity of our country and challenge the ANC for power rather than just being in opposition for opposition’s sake,” he said.

He said that politicians had failed young people in every way.

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“Political parties ignore the voices of their youth, so their policies and programmes do nothing to advance the interests of young people.

“To make things worse, they must now hear from the DA that race has no bearing on these challenges. Young people live with unemployment levels approaching 60%.

“Young people leave schools with substandard education, the vast majority will not be able to get a tertiary education and those who do, find themselves up to their necks in debt. In short, too many young people face a life without hope and have given up on our political system,” he added.

Machaba said young people needed something new and different in South Africa’s political system.

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