Bongani Baloyi on recruiting Midvaal residents to ActionSA: ‘We’re focused on removing the ANC in 2024’

Bongani Baloyi has revealed plans to recruit residents in Midvaal, where he was DA mayor, to his new political home ActionSA. 

The former DA Midvaal mayor this week revealed ActionSA in the Vaal was embarking on a campaign to attract members from that “other place and from broader society”. 

“Herman Mashaba you must prepare yourself for isphitiphiti (chaos). Vaal ActionSA is embarking on a campaign to get our members from that other place and from broader society. We are starting in Midvaal,” said Baloyi.

Baloyi’s statement drew mixed reactions, with some saying he should extend his reach to people in Sasolburg/Zamdela who voted for that “other place” because of his sterling performance in Midvaal.

“We are coming. That part is historically part of the Vaal,” said Baloyi. 

However, one user slammed Baloyi for not calling the DA by its name after “DA councillors voted him into his position as mayor of Midvaal and gave him a voice”. 

“Services were delivered under a DA government. The town was the highest rated in Gauteng. Now Bongani Baloyi can’t even call it by its name and will try to tell people Midvaal is suffering under the DA,” said the user. 

In his response, Baloyi said his recruitment plans were to remove the ANC as the ruling party and were not necessarily about the DA. 

“I [am] recruiting many South Africans into ActionSA, including in Midvaal and your neighbourhood soon,” he said. 

“We are focused on our objective to remove the ANC in 2024. For us to do so, we are going to build structures of the party in every ward in the country, including Midvaal.”

TimesLIVE reached out to Baloyi for comment on his claims, but he had not responded by the time of publishing this article. It will be updated once comment is received.  

Baloyi was unveiled as a member of ActionSA’s senate last month. He has been tipped as the party’s Gauteng premier candidate in 2024.

He left the DA in December after 14 years as a member. 

Speaking to 702, Baloyi reflected on his time with the DA, saying some of the biggest problems in the party, during his tenure, came from the parliamentary caucus.

“There were battles that one got into in the DA insofar as the articulation of policy at a particular time and the articulation of personal statements leaders made that were contrary to what the party stood for,” said Baloyi.

“I engaged in a struggle in the DA, lost many battles. It got difficult at times, but it is politics. You must have a thick skin for this thing and I’m nobody’s victim. I have never seen myself as anybody’s victim.”

He told BusinessLIVE the key difference between his former party and ActionSA was the DA’s baggage.

“ActionSA is very clear about its social justice policy,” he said.

“Any political party that has been standing for a long time has many issues, including trust issues with voters, people leaving and coming, people being uncertain. Those are things that are happening and people are rejecting it.”