Dear Fellow South Africans,
It was a symbolic gathering in front of the once proud hotel – which hosted the likes of Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, and Paul Simon – to highlight South Africa’s decay under the ruling party.
It was at the Carlton Hotel where in 1994 I was invited, alongside leading black entrepreneurs, to celebrate the ruling party’s electoral victory.
But, less than three years later the hotel permanently closed down amid a breakdown in the rule of law and service delivery breakdowns.
The story of the Carlton Hotel would soon be replicated across South Africa, with areas such as the Babelegi Industrial Park – which once employed thousands of our people – becoming deserted.
Today the Ga-Rankuwa Industrial area, where I founded Black Like Me at the height of Apartheid in 1985, is the shadow of its former self as manufacturing companies permanently closed shop.
However, the unveiling of our election posters wanted to convey the message that all hope is not lost. We are not a party that wallows in self-pity but believes that we can change the course of our own lives.
By taking action today, we can turn around the decay that took place in the Johannesburg inner city and across the country.
Our election slogan ‘Only Action Will Fix SA’ speaks to this belief in self-agency. South Africans are not in need of rescuing but have time and time again proven able to overcome the biggest crisis.
It was the private sector that helped overcome hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-profit sector that helped supply water and food during intense droughts, and communities that stood together against civil unrest.
South Africans are resourceful people and have proven able to take action to turn around the reality around them.
This year, South Africans will again take action to fix our country by going to the polls on May 29.
The only way for change to happen in this country is if we try something new on election day, and vote for ActionSA this year. We cannot do the same thing and expect different results.
The unveiling of ActionSA’s election posters also marks a historic moment for a three-and-a-half-year-old political party. These posters, which have been put up on polls across the country over the past few days, show our readiness to contest in all nine provinces to provide a credible alternative to the failed political establishment.
It is something that makes me immensely proud that, in such a short span of time, we have been able to grow our organisation to over 280,000 members with branches in 45% of the country’s wards.
It is this level of momentum needed to bring about democratic change in South Africa, and it is ultimately what will give ActionSA breakout performance in our first national elections.
Because Only Action Will Fix SA.
In the weeks ahead, we have the collective duty to go to as many homes and communities as possible to share the message of hope ActionSA has to offer.
Unless we engage with voters directly, they will never know that by only taking action will they be able to fix this country. This means phoning our friends, speaking to our families, and engaging with our fellow South Africans on the streets.
If enough of us spread ActionSA’s message, we will be able to build an unstoppable force that can topple the ruling party by the 29th of May. And then, the work of improving the lives of all our people can start.
Let’s make this the year of Action, not for ourselves but to better the lives of those around us. Because Only Action Will Fix SA.
Presidency Newsletter
Why Only Action Will Fix SA
Dear Fellow South Africans,
It was a symbolic gathering in front of the once proud hotel – which hosted the likes of Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, and Paul Simon – to highlight South Africa’s decay under the ruling party.
It was at the Carlton Hotel where in 1994 I was invited, alongside leading black entrepreneurs, to celebrate the ruling party’s electoral victory.
But, less than three years later the hotel permanently closed down amid a breakdown in the rule of law and service delivery breakdowns.
The story of the Carlton Hotel would soon be replicated across South Africa, with areas such as the Babelegi Industrial Park – which once employed thousands of our people – becoming deserted.
Today the Ga-Rankuwa Industrial area, where I founded Black Like Me at the height of Apartheid in 1985, is the shadow of its former self as manufacturing companies permanently closed shop.
However, the unveiling of our election posters wanted to convey the message that all hope is not lost. We are not a party that wallows in self-pity but believes that we can change the course of our own lives.
By taking action today, we can turn around the decay that took place in the Johannesburg inner city and across the country.
Our election slogan ‘Only Action Will Fix SA’ speaks to this belief in self-agency. South Africans are not in need of rescuing but have time and time again proven able to overcome the biggest crisis.
It was the private sector that helped overcome hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-profit sector that helped supply water and food during intense droughts, and communities that stood together against civil unrest.
South Africans are resourceful people and have proven able to take action to turn around the reality around them.
This year, South Africans will again take action to fix our country by going to the polls on May 29.
The only way for change to happen in this country is if we try something new on election day, and vote for ActionSA this year. We cannot do the same thing and expect different results.
The unveiling of ActionSA’s election posters also marks a historic moment for a three-and-a-half-year-old political party. These posters, which have been put up on polls across the country over the past few days, show our readiness to contest in all nine provinces to provide a credible alternative to the failed political establishment.
It is something that makes me immensely proud that, in such a short span of time, we have been able to grow our organisation to over 280,000 members with branches in 45% of the country’s wards.
It is this level of momentum needed to bring about democratic change in South Africa, and it is ultimately what will give ActionSA breakout performance in our first national elections.
Because Only Action Will Fix SA.
In the weeks ahead, we have the collective duty to go to as many homes and communities as possible to share the message of hope ActionSA has to offer.
Unless we engage with voters directly, they will never know that by only taking action will they be able to fix this country. This means phoning our friends, speaking to our families, and engaging with our fellow South Africans on the streets.
If enough of us spread ActionSA’s message, we will be able to build an unstoppable force that can topple the ruling party by the 29th of May. And then, the work of improving the lives of all our people can start.
Let’s make this the year of Action, not for ourselves but to better the lives of those around us. Because Only Action Will Fix SA.
Yours in service,
Herman Mashaba
ActionSA President
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