‘Leaders are leaving left and right’: ActionSA committee dissolves in KZN

ActionSA in KwaZulu-Natal dissolved its provincial executive committee amid resignations by senior leaders on Tuesday.

Umgungundlovu regional chairperson Mohammad Khan and provincial women’s forum chairperson Monica Mgaga were the latest senior leaders in the province to tender their resignations from the party on Tuesday.

This was yet another blow to the party’s growth in the province as it followed Mdumiseni Mlangeni quitting as uThukela regional chairperson at the end of July and Busisiwe Ntshingila’s resignation as the party’s interim eThekwini regional chairperson on Monday.

Resignation letters from Khan and Mgaga were scathing of the party.

Mgaga questioned the party’s direction and said its lack of response in recent events suggested its leaders were “detached” from the experiences of ordinary South Africans.

A woman reported she was abused, left traumatised within the organisation, [but there was] not even a single call of encouragement or support from the president, yet he is able to freely communicate with the accused.

—  Monica Mgaga, provincial women’s forum chairperson

“Are we building or are we breaking: leaders are leaving left and right, parallel structures exist in almost every region, a woman was abused and traumatised and zero support has been made available,” she said.

Mgaga said leadership was a serious issue.

“If the president of the party [Herman Mashaba] couldn’t be bothered to come to KZN after the floods, after a national state of disaster was declared, what does that say about the priorities of the party leadership? No-one from the senate even came to acknowledge or see for themselves the damage caused by the floods, yet with the looting he was able to visit three regions. When it is the poor that (are) affected by mother nature life just carries on as usual.”

Mgaga also highlighted two internal incidents in which she believed Mashaba should have intervened.

“A woman reported she was abused, left traumatised within the organisation [but there was] not even a single call of encouragement or support from the president, yet he is able to freely communicate with the accused.

“The president appointed two candidates as provincial chair — both did more harm than good, but not once has he seen the need to address the people of KZN and apologise or acknowledge the negative impact the people he appointed have had on structures. How am I supposed to even be remotely confident that ActionSA is an option for SA?”

Mgaga was referring to an incident where a senior leader allegedly pointed a gun at another leader. The official was suspended and is now undergoing internal investigation.

On a personal level, Mgaga said she felt “used, undermined and overlooked” over the past two years.

“After all the times I have been used and spat out and replaced, I think I wish to bow this one out. I can’t work hard to cultivate the land yet; when it comes to harvesting I will be pushed aside,” she said.

“There is a lot that has happened in KZN and also in the KZN PEC, but my experiences in the party don’t garner any confidence for me to continue any groundwork.”

Khan shared similar personal experiences in the party in his resignation letter.

“I have come to an end trying my best to rescue this party, yet we are undermined by national leadership who sit on top using us to grow this party and treat us as if we are nothing. Women are treated as if they are nothing when they ask national structures for help.

“I will not be controlled as a puppet in this organisation, as they would like to control people on what to do and what to say and when to talk and when not to.”

He echoed similar sentiments to those expressed by others leaders in the province, who quit the party about growing unhappiness with the national leadership.

“Nobody knew ActionSA and Mr Mashaba in KZN until we went out promoting what I thought was best for the country. There are too many issues from the top and national leadership could not solve these issues. People are afraid to speak the truth about what’s really going on, but I will not be silenced. We have had many engagements with the national chairperson and national director of operations, yet they act as if nothing bad is happening,” he said.

I can confirm both resignations, but they came after the senate had dissolved the KZN PEC. This further demonstrates how these actions are co-ordinated to make it seem like there are internal divisions within ActionSA

—  Michael Beaumont, ActionSA national chairperson

“The province had been burning for a long time, yet the president could not avail himself to meet the leadership of KZN.”

Michael Beaumont, ActionSA national chairperson, confirmed the resignations of Mgaga and Khan were received after the senate had dissolved the PEC.

“I can confirm both resignations, but they came after the senate had dissolved the KZN PEC. This further demonstrates how these actions are co-ordinated to make it seem like there are internal divisions within ActionSA,” he said.

In a statement he released on Tuesday, Beaumont said the senate meeting had arisen after there were people painting a picture of disharmony in the province.

“The senate noted various communication within and beyond the PEC which appear to have been made with an intention of damaging the image of our party as well as sowing internal disharmony,” he said.

“This was deemed to be unacceptable from a group entrusted with rapidly growing structures of ActionSA within the province.”

He said the PEC lost its mandate when the provincial chairperson resigned in July because the PEC members were office bearers appointed by him. As a result, Beaumont said the senate decided to dissolve the PEC until the announcement of the new provincial chairperson in October.

The party’s national operations director, John Moodey, will oversee all political activities in KZN.