Johannesburg - ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has warned party members who are found to be sowing divisions in the party to refrain from doing so or face being kicked out.
Mashaba said he was doing his best to ensure that ActionSA becomes a political party with one vision that is united for the best interests of all South Africans.
He said he was disturbed by rumours that he was on bad terms with the party’s Gauteng provincial leader, Bongani Baloyi, and that there was a plot to get rid of Baloyi as provincial leader to make space for the former mayor of Johannesburg, Mpho Phalatse, when she joins ActionSA.
Mashaba dismissed the rumours as "nonsense," claiming that they were intended to sow discord within the party and destabilise ActionSA.
In an interview with The Star, Mashaba said discipline and good conduct were of the utmost importance to ActionSA members, but those who sow division in the party would be dealt with.
"You cannot stop people from trying to cause factions. As soon as you know that you are factionalising, we fire you. I will nibble at anything in the bud. I am not against people having differing opinions, but those that come into the party to sow divisions should be taken to task," he said.
Mashaba said the party would hold its elective congress when all provincial structures are prepared and ready. He said those accusing him of delaying an elective conference were far from the truth.
"The provinces had not launched their structures. How we could have had an elective conference only as Gauteng?" he queried.
Mashaba said he wanted to reassure the public that ActionSA remained united and that the party would be contesting the 2024 general elections.
A number of ActionSA members from Soweto left the party last year to join the Patriotic Alliance.
The group had accused Mashaba of being a dictator; there were problems at the time with the PR councillor list, which had sowed division in the Johannesburg region of the party. Nonetheless, Mashaba said the party was committed to unseating the ANC in next year’s elections.
The Star