All systems go: ActionSA ready to launch its manifesto

ActionSA is ready for its manifesto launch and to offer itself to South Africans let down by a failed political establishment.

Being among the last of the parties to present their offering for the electorate was intentional as it will be fresh in the minds of South Africans before the May 29 polls, the party said.

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said: “We have had the chance to witness the political establishment misread the national mood spectacularly by making grandiose promises that lack credibility. This has set us up to focus not just on what an ActionSA government will deliver, but also to communicate credible plans on how this will be implemented so that South Africans can believe in an alternative to the failed establishment.”

Instead of holding the launch in a stadium, the party will use the Ellis Park indoor arena with a seating capacity of 5,000, he said.

“ActionSA has the capacity to fill much larger stadiums but regrettably must compete against parties in the failed political establishment who have outrageously rewarded their failure with R1.5bn in state funding for this election.”

Beaumont dedicated his “message of hope” at a state of readiness briefing, accompanied by ActionSA members named “Tintswalo”.

“We have asked these South Africans to be here today [Friday] so we can assure them this manifesto launch will not be the fictional delusions of an out-of-touch political establishment that has described a world that these young people do not identify with. Instead we pledge to Tintswalo, and all South Africans, that we will tell the story of how their real-life experience will be improved.”

The development of the manifesto began shortly after the party's policy conference in September last year, he said.

“It was a process that drew upon the knowledge of South Africans, working in various industries, so our solutions would be based on practical solutions by people who know what needs to be done to fix South Africa.”

Recently the party unveiled its “shadow cabinet”, called “Team Fix South Africa”, listing candidates who would be in government should the party win.

“The advent of Team Fix South Africa, ActionSA’s shadow cabinet of 18, has seen this process now handed over to these highly experienced and knowledgeable South Africans.

“This is why [ActionSA leader] Herman Mashaba has presented a team where our member for police is a retired police captain, where our health member is a doctor, where our education member is an educator, where our justice member is an advocate, where our finance member is a chartered accountant and where our economics member is an economist.”

Beaumont said this team has taken the party's policy and assisted to develop the manifesto into the credible plans to be presented.

“Many of our Team Fix South Africa members will be co-presenting the national manifesto in their speeches relating to their portfolios. We are proud to be led by a president such as Mashaba who knows the value of teamwork.

“While some party leaders have droned on for hours, Mashaba has called upon these members to share the work of presenting our plans to South Africa.”

ActionSA's manifesto will be grounded in five priorities:

• to grow the economy and create jobs through private and public sector programmes;
• the implementation of inclusive economic empowerment and a universal basic income grant;
• a blueprint and timeline for ending load-shedding;
• the achievement of law and order with a focus on corruption, substance abuse and gender-based violence; and
• the enforcement of South Africa's borders.

Beaumont said these plans will be led by Mashaba, whose previous Johannesburg mayor title and experience in governance will set them apart.

“Our president is one of few party leaders who have a track record in government and even fewer with a positive track record. South Africans have been failed time and again by political rhetoric which has never translated into tangible improvements in the lives of South Africans.”

The party will contest its first national and provincial elections after breaking into the scene in the 2021 local government elections.

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