ActionSA’s “green umbrella” project is gaining steam as it announced the addition of two movements, scooping up seven council seats in the North West, bringing the total number of councillors involved from 91 to almost 150 since last year.
On Monday, party leader Herman Mashaba said the Azanian Independent Community Movement and the Creatives Congress Movement will join ActionSA.
This merger is part of Mashaba’s broader vision to unite diverse political parties under his “green umbrella” project.
Under a single banner, we are giving communities a unified voice and a real chance for change.
— Herman Mashaba, ActionSA leader
“Under a single banner we are giving communities a unified voice and a real chance for change. Today [Monday] marks another milestone in this journey, as community-rooted parties from across the provinces join under the ActionSA banner, bringing our total representation to nearly 150 public representatives. And this is just the beginning.”
In a media briefing, Mashaba said the project is ongoing and the door remains open for political parties and civic movements to get on board.
“What should be clear to all of us is that the work of fixing South Africa is bigger than any one party or leader. This is why ActionSA continues to keep its doors open to like-minded parties and civic formations that share our values and commitment to building a capable and ethical state.”
The vision was to build a political vehicle that would represent all South Africans from rural communities, townships and urban centres.
“We built this party on that vision because we understand that fixing South Africa would be impossible if we confined ourselves to speaking to certain communities at the exclusion of others.
“Over the past five years, we have invested heavily in this principle. Looking back on our work today, I am proud of what we have achieved. ActionSA’s trajectory is now defined by exceptional growth in rural communities and urban centres.”
According to Mashaba, this strategy has proved successful, as shown by their first by-election victory in ward 7, Ramotshere Moloia municipality, in October last year when the party unseated the ANC in their historic rural stronghold.
The party believes this demonstrates their mission to “provide South Africans across failing municipalities the opportunity to choose a different path is working”.
“Our victory in ward 7 relied on a simple strategy that brings us to why we are here today: the uniting and consolidation of opposition political parties rooted in communities. These parties, despite not having a broad national footprint, are often the most in touch with local needs and best placed to fight for the interests of their communities.”
Mashaba said communities have for decades endured a system broken by failed established political parties who are “incompetent, corrupt, trade in broken promises, or guilty of all of the above”.
Because of this, the momentum they are building is not about power but about partnership and about restoring faith that South Africa can still be fixed through collaboration.
“Together, this partnership will see ActionSA’s representation grow by seven councillors, further expand our reach in the North West, and establish a presence representing a movement of artists and creatives, whose membership will enable ActionSA to bring their voices into decision-making, champion innovative cultural initiatives, and strengthen our connection with diverse communities.”
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