ActionSA welcomes the Electoral Court’s dismissal of the African National Congress’s appeal relating to the exclusion of 181 of its candidates from the upcoming Local Government Elections.
The judgment is an important reminder that no political party is above the rules that govern our democratic process. Our democracy is founded on the principle that the law must apply equally, regardless of the size, history or political standing of an organisation.
We commend the Electoral Court for bringing certainty to the electoral process as South Africa prepares for the 4 November Local Government Elections.
However, this moment must not be taken in vain. For the residents of the affected municipalities, this is about far more than candidate lists. It is about communities that have endured years of frustration, declining services and municipalities that have failed to live up to their responsibility to the people they serve.
From Mangaung to Walter Sisulu, Sundays River Valley, Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill and uMshwathi, residents deserve an opportunity to consider a different future for their communities. The circumstances facing these municipalities should remind all of us that local government cannot continue to operate as though political loyalty is more important than the lived realities of residents. South Africans must never feel guilty for demanding change when something is no longer working for their communities.
They must be free to ask difficult questions. They must be free to consider alternatives. And, most importantly, they must be free to exercise their constitutional right to vote without being manipulated by fear, political history or the suggestion that they owe their vote to any political organisation.
This is where ActionSA believes it has a meaningful role to play. ActionSA stands as an alternative government, with credible leaders who are ready to take responsibility for fixing broken municipalities. Our candidates are community-oriented leaders who understand that public office is not a privilege, but a responsibility. They are being presented to communities with a simple purpose: to bring accountable leadership closer to the people and to restore the basic principle that government must work for those it serves.
We have seen what committed leadership can begin to achieve in Tshwane under Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya, where the administration has placed financial stability, service delivery, infrastructure and improved governance at the centre of its programme.
We also draw from the commitment demonstrated by Herman Mashaba during his tenure as Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, where the administration placed a strong emphasis on financial discipline, investment, service delivery and accountable government. These experiences inform the kind of leadership ActionSA seeks to bring to municipalities across South Africa.
Our mission is bigger than winning elections. Our mission is to Fix South Africa. We want to see municipalities where residents can trust that their money is being used responsibly, where basic services are delivered, where infrastructure is maintained and where elected leaders are accessible and accountable to the communities that elected them.
The upcoming elections therefore present an important opportunity for South Africans to consider what kind of leadership they want for the next five years. ActionSA is ready to put forward its leaders, its candidates and its vision for a different kind of local government.
We are asking South Africans to give us the opportunity to demonstrate, through government, what clean, accountable and community-centred governance looks like.
Give us five years. Let us show South Africa what is possible when government is placed back in the hands of the people.
ActionSA Welcomes Electoral Court Ruling: An Opportunity For Communities To Demand Change
ActionSA welcomes the Electoral Court’s dismissal of the African National Congress’s appeal relating to the exclusion of 181 of its candidates from the upcoming Local Government Elections.
The judgment is an important reminder that no political party is above the rules that govern our democratic process. Our democracy is founded on the principle that the law must apply equally, regardless of the size, history or political standing of an organisation.
We commend the Electoral Court for bringing certainty to the electoral process as South Africa prepares for the 4 November Local Government Elections.
However, this moment must not be taken in vain. For the residents of the affected municipalities, this is about far more than candidate lists. It is about communities that have endured years of frustration, declining services and municipalities that have failed to live up to their responsibility to the people they serve.
From Mangaung to Walter Sisulu, Sundays River Valley, Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill and uMshwathi, residents deserve an opportunity to consider a different future for their communities. The circumstances facing these municipalities should remind all of us that local government cannot continue to operate as though political loyalty is more important than the lived realities of residents. South Africans must never feel guilty for demanding change when something is no longer working for their communities.
They must be free to ask difficult questions. They must be free to consider alternatives. And, most importantly, they must be free to exercise their constitutional right to vote without being manipulated by fear, political history or the suggestion that they owe their vote to any political organisation.
This is where ActionSA believes it has a meaningful role to play. ActionSA stands as an alternative government, with credible leaders who are ready to take responsibility for fixing broken municipalities. Our candidates are community-oriented leaders who understand that public office is not a privilege, but a responsibility. They are being presented to communities with a simple purpose: to bring accountable leadership closer to the people and to restore the basic principle that government must work for those it serves.
We have seen what committed leadership can begin to achieve in Tshwane under Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya, where the administration has placed financial stability, service delivery, infrastructure and improved governance at the centre of its programme.
We also draw from the commitment demonstrated by Herman Mashaba during his tenure as Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, where the administration placed a strong emphasis on financial discipline, investment, service delivery and accountable government. These experiences inform the kind of leadership ActionSA seeks to bring to municipalities across South Africa.
Our mission is bigger than winning elections. Our mission is to Fix South Africa. We want to see municipalities where residents can trust that their money is being used responsibly, where basic services are delivered, where infrastructure is maintained and where elected leaders are accessible and accountable to the communities that elected them.
The upcoming elections therefore present an important opportunity for South Africans to consider what kind of leadership they want for the next five years. ActionSA is ready to put forward its leaders, its candidates and its vision for a different kind of local government.
We are asking South Africans to give us the opportunity to demonstrate, through government, what clean, accountable and community-centred governance looks like.
Give us five years. Let us show South Africa what is possible when government is placed back in the hands of the people.