Mandisa Mashego says she has joined ‘civic part’ of Mashaba’s party

Former EFF caucus leader in the Gauteng Legislature and the red berets’ former provincial chair Mandisa Mashego says she has joined the “civic part” of Herman Mashaba’s The People’s Dialogue, “not the political part”.

This after it was reported that she had joined the party, a report which the founder of soon-to-be-launched The People’s Dialogue, Mashaba, dismissed.

“Remember they made it very clear at the beginning that they are a civic organisation mobilising South Africans to start doing the right thing about certain pertinent issues,” Mashego said.

Mashego said she is working with The People’s Dialogue on various issues, “including the electoral reform”.

She added that she is working with many other organisations and that “politically”, she has not joined any party.

Mashego said she would address an ATM women’s day event and that she addresses similar events with other organisations that extend an invitation to her.

She added that she does and will continue to address any available and”genuine” platform committed to doing “proper work”, on issues of gender and those pertaining to women, feminism “and the economy in relation to women, especially black women”.

“I am working with The People’s Dialogue, there is no doubt about that. I’m working with the New Nation Movement, there’s no doubt about that. I’m working with other feminist organisations. I’m working even with trade union movements. I’m working with various civic organisations, NGOs. All of them I’m happy for them to affiliate with me and to use my name correctly to whatever positive end,” Mashego said, adding that she is in business at the moment.

Mashaba said he had been “engaging” Mashego for several years “when I was the mayor and even post that we obviously created a relationship,” however, he said he had never made a definite approach for her to join The People’s Dialogue.

He added that he had always told Mashego that when she decided that she was looking for a new political home, The People’s Dialogue would be ready for her and accept her with open arms.

Mashaba said he would afford Mashego the space to make her decision and that he did not want to pressure her.

“But when she does make up her mind to join us, I’ll be the happiest South African because the three years I’ve worked with her, I was actually quite impressed with her commitment to civil service,” Mashaba said.

Mashego earlier this year resigned from the red berets.

Mashaba said The People’s Dialogue, which will be launched on 29 August, gets “roughly 2,000 people joining us daily, signing in, a minimum of 2,000 people every single day”.

“So people signed up and those that want us to announce them we will announce them,” he said, adding that the party would respect the requests of those who wished for their memberships to be kept confidential.

“And in terms of people really signing up as members, roughly between 2,000 and 4,000 a day. We are quite really pleased about this.”

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