ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba announced that former MK Party Mpumalanga leader Mary Phadi has joined the party as its provincial campaign manager, while MP Dereleen James has been appointed provincial chairperson in the Western Cape.
Mashaba, who is the party’s mayoral candidate for City of Johannesburg, made the announcement on Saturday during a media briefing.
This comes after the party’s three-day Senate strategic planning meeting, where leaders from across South Africa gathered to map out an assertive election campaign.
He said the discussions focused on a central question: how to take the party’s message directly to South Africans frustrated by failing municipalities, deteriorating infrastructure, corruption, rising living costs and lawlessness.
“At the centre of these discussions was a simple but urgent question: how do we take a campaign directly to South Africans who are tired of failing municipalities, deteriorating infrastructure, corruption, the rising cost of living and lawlessness?” Mashaba said.
He added that the Senate reaffirmed ActionSA’s commitment to offering a clear break from what he described as the “politics of self-interest”.
“ActionSA was founded to break from the failed politics of established political parties, and we remain guided by a simple principle – that South Africans must come first in every decision we take,” he said.
Mashaba said the party’s campaign would be built from the ground up, focusing on community issues while aggressively tackling the collapse of basic services, crime, drug abuse and unemployment.
He confirmed Phadi’s appointment in Mpumalanga.
“As a grounded organiser with deep community roots, she brings a clear understanding of the challenges faced across the province and a proven record of standing at the forefront of community struggles,” Mashaba said.
Phadi previously served as a leader in the MK Party in Mpumalanga.
However, the Mbombela High Court ruled that she is no longer a member of the party or a legitimate member of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature.
Acting Judge Herman Fourie upheld the MK Party’s counter-application, finding that Phadi’s membership had been lawfully terminated.
The ruling pointed to her defiance of party structures, verbal attacks on officials and efforts to organise parallel events.
The court ordered her immediate removal from the legislature and directed her to pay legal costs on a punitive scale.
Phadi was expelled in October 2024 for allegedly violating the MK Party’s constitution and misusing party funds.
Although she was briefly reinstated in December through a default judgment, the party successfully challenged that ruling.
Meanwhile, Mashaba also announced the appointment of Dereleen James as ActionSA’s provincial chairperson in the Western Cape.
“A respected and no-nonsense community activist, she has consistently led efforts to confront crime, drug cartels and corruption, particularly on the Cape Flats, and will now spearhead the party’s growth and campaign in the province,” he said.
Mashaba said further announcements would follow as the party prepares for the upcoming municipal elections.
“This is just the beginning…ActionSA’s contestation of the upcoming municipal elections will be accompanied by further announcements in the coming weeks as we mount an aggressive campaign in targeted municipalities across all nine provinces,” he said.
IOL Politics
Simon Majadibodu
iol.co.za
