Axed Abel Tau challenges ActionSA in court and launches new political party

Former ActionSA and Tshwane human settlements mayoral committee member Abel Tau has approached the courts to challenge the termination of his party membership.

Tau was expelled for allegedly making sexual advances on the wife of a fellow member during a drinking session in November.

ActionSA’s termination of Tau’s membership was announced by party chairperson Michael Beaumont, who said: “The senate specifically looked at the conduct of Tau and concluded it was inconsistent with ActionSA’s value of ethical leadership.”

Tau plans to file papers at the Gauteng High Court to challenge the constitutionality of his expulsion as he maintains he is innocent and his membership termination was politically motivated. An aggrieved Tau described the party’s actions as “grossly unfair, unconstitutional, unlawful, unjustifiable and unsustainable”.

Tau has also announced plans to launch his own political party: United Africans Transformation.

Speaking to eNCA, Tau explained why he felt the need to establish his own political party away from existing options in South Africa’s political landscape.

“Something is not right in our country, and we all agree. We see it with the devastating load-shedding, we see it with the failing justice system, we see it with the police system that citizens are not safe and from that trajectory, there is much to contribute to the politics of South Africa,” he said.

“We got to a point where leaders in society and clergy felt that a vehicle was needed to take South Africa forward, which I believe will take us into the spaces where decisions are made.”

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