Address by Michael Beaumont, ActionSA National Chairperson
South Africans have every reason to feel let down by its failed political establishment.
Those in government have lied to us, they have failed to deliver and they have enriched themselves.
Those in the opposition benches have presided over the collapse of our country and are more interested in being in opposition than being a real alternative.
In this election, South Africans have the opportunity to change their vote to a new political party because the change we seek can never come from doing the same thing.
ActionSA towers above all other new political parties. We have contested the 2021 local government elections and emerged as the sixth-largest party despite only contesting six municipalities.
But, it is not only this that sets ActionSA apart.
At a time in which South Africans have every reason to doubt what political leaders say, the only thing that they can count on is what political leaders have done.
Look around at the leaders of political parties in South Africa. Most of them have never worked a day in their life in government.
Those leaders with a track record in government have proven only that they cannot govern or that they govern for some but not all South Africans.
Herman Mashaba’s track record in Johannesburg stands above all others and, under his leadership, Johannesburg began to get better.
As you consider the following achievements under Herman’s leadership in Johannesburg, I invite you to imagine these changes being delivered in national government:
- – A former Scorpion was appointed to head an anti-corruption unit that investigated over 6000 cases of corruption totalling more than R6 billion and affecting 700 arrests.
- – The Metro Police force was increased by over 1500 officers and a police presence could be felt in the City almost overnight.
- – A specialised K9 Narcotics Unit was established to wage war with the dealers and distributors of drugs, while the first substance abuse facilities were opened to treat the victims of substance abuse.
- – R2 billion was redirected from the luxuries of travel, self-promotion and consultants and re-directed to basic service delivery and the reliability of electricity, water and roads improved.
- – Facilitated investment increased from R4 billion to R17 billion within just three years.
- – A programme of reclaiming hundreds of hijacked buildings from criminal syndicates provided them to the private sector to develop low-cost, affordable housing in the CBD of Joburg.
- – Clinic and library hours were extended, record numbers of title deeds were issued and the City began the biggest programme of providing serviced stands to thousands of families to build their own homes.
- – A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the trade unions that removed the role confusion that had crept in and forged a platform for stable labour relations to provide effective services.
- – More than 6000 Security guards and cleaners, who had long been abused by tenderpreneurs, were insourced, giving them dignity and fair treatment and taking control of the City’s infrastructure protection.
- – Twenty informal settlements were electrified, including Kliptown. That’s right, it took Herman Mashaba to electrify the birthplace of the Freedom Charter 23 years into democracy.
There is little that I can say that these achievements do not convey more convincingly about Herman Mashaba, ActionSA and a track record in government that South Africans can measure when they go to the polls on 29 May.
Imagine with me, just for one moment, this kind of leadership in national government.
Imagine corruption being fought; actual prosecutions for state capture; the ranks of our police swelling; an economy growing under the leadership of someone who has created jobs; the first real alternative to BEE, the lights staying on and the water flowing from the taps.
As you imagine the kind of South Africa that could be, ask yourself who do you see as the leader that will deliver this change and start the work to Fix South Africa?
It’s Herman Mashaba.
Address by Vuyo Kamba, Star of ActionSA Television advert and resident of Finetown
I joined ActionSA because out of all the political parties in South Africa, ActionSA is the only political party that I know can fix our country.
It is the only political party that can improve the lives of me and my family.
It is the only political party that cares for forgotten communities, like the one I live in in Finetown and Meriting.
I am saying this because I saw first-hand the difference Herman Mashaba made in the City of Johannesburg as mayor.
He was the first mayor in the city’s history to give electricity to Finetown and Meriting.
Today, people in my community know what it feels like to boil water or put on the lights because of Ntate Mashaba.
While other political leaders spoke about doing things, Ntate Mashaba took action to make change happen.
He didn’t just sit in a comfortable office, but walked the streets of my community to experience the reality on the ground.
That is why I am proud to be a part of ActionSA’s television advert.
I hope that by sharing my message, other South Africans will be convinced to give ActionSA a chance this year.
This year let’s take action to remove the ruling party and take action to fix South Africa.
Because only action will fix South Africa!
Address by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President
In August 2020, we launched ActionSA to offer South Africans hope in the face of the overwhelming challenges we face as a nation.
We spoke of a new future for our country, filled with a deep sense of conviction, and the promise that we will emerge from the depths of our despair and enter a new age of prosperity.
Almost four years later, our resolve is stronger than ever.
As I stand before you today, I remain convinced that we can and will fix South Africa.
You have just heard from Mr Vuyo Kamba, a resident of Finetown in Johannesburg.
Finetown, and neighbouring Meriting, are very close to my heart.
During my time as the Mayor of Johannesburg, I had the privilege to provide this community with electricity for the first time.
This was a deeply moving experience that deepened my desire to see change in South Africa, and fix the country we love.
I often said during my time as the Mayor that it was the most difficult that I have ever had the privilege of doing.
Leading a city of 5 million people is no easy task when all is well. But the challenge of serving as Mayor of one of the most unequal cities in the world profoundly changes ones perspective on life and society.
On the one hand, Johannesburg is home to Sandton – what many call the richest square mile in Africa.
But literally just down the road from Sandton City one finds Alexandra, where too many residents still live without access to even basic services.
The community of Meriting was no different. Like so many communities across South Africa, it was excluded from the promise of a better life for all.
In 2017, this community received electricity for the very first time, 23 years after our transition to democracy.
This is why this moment was moving for me. I felt proud that my administration could achieve something that those before us had neglected to do for so long.
I was humbled to see the appreciation of people like Vuyo who could make tea with an electric kettle for the first time, and flip a switch to bring light to the dark.
But it was painful to think that despite the change we had brought to Meriting, so much more remained to be done – not only in Johannesburg, but across South Africa.
Unfortunately, the plight of Meriting was not an exception. In that same year we also electrified Kliptown for the first time, where, ironically, the Freedom Charter was first adopted in 1955. Kliptown too had been forgotten.
But, I don’t say this just to dwell on the failures of the past. It is easy to do. What I want to do is prove an alternative.
Instead, I say this to demonstrate that we don’t have to accept the legacy of the past. The electrification of communities like Meriting and Kliptown is proof that there is a better alternative.
Hope is not lost. Change IS possible.
If we have the willpower and dedication to take action to change the world around us, we can make progress as a country.
My fellow South Africans,
From the onset, ActionSA wanted to be different.
We did not want to be a party of words.
We didn’t want to be a party of promises.
But wanted to be a party of action.
A party where through our actions we show what is possible.
Being part of the change that we brought to Johannesburg between 2016 and 2019, is what inspires me to do this difficult job on a daily basis.
In the roughly three years of my administration, we changed Johannesburg’s trajectory and reversed the decline which took place under previous administrations.
Including Meriting and Kliptown, we provided over 10,000 households with electricity for the very first time.
We provided over 11,000 ablution facilities to those without sanitation;
We insourced over 6,000 security guards and cleaners, ending their exploitation by middle-men and giving them the dignity of permanent employment
And we reclaimed the Inner City by handing 154 properties to the private sector for mixed-use development. This unlocked R32 billion in investment, and created 21,000 jobs and 14,500 affordable accommodation opportunities.
It is seeing action bring change that gets me out of bed in the morning. The difference we made in the City of Johannesburg is possible across South Africa.
This is the kind of action ActionSA wants to bring to communities across the country if given the opportunity.
Fellow South Africans,
For that to happen, it requires each and every patriotic South Africa takes action in our own right.
For some of us, that means getting actively involved in politics and fighting against corruption, maladministration and corruption.
For others, it means volunteering our time in our communities, or even just helping our neighbours, friends and families where we can.
Small actions can have a big impact. This year, I am asking you to take a very simple action. I am asking you to exercise your democratic right to vote and remove the government that failed communities like Meriting.
This simple yet powerful action can usher in a new era for South Africa. It can usher in an efficient people-orientated government and public service that will bring prosperity to our land.
People like Vuyo can speak first-hand about the different actions made in their communities.
I am asking you to allow us to make action possible across South Africa this year.
On the 29th of May, ActionSA will be on every ballot paper in the country.
Take action alongside millions of other South Africans this year, and bring change to your community.
Let action lead.
Because only action will fix South Africa.
Mashaba & Beaumont Unveils ActionSA’s Patriotic Television Advert
Address by Michael Beaumont, ActionSA National Chairperson
South Africans have every reason to feel let down by its failed political establishment.
Those in government have lied to us, they have failed to deliver and they have enriched themselves.
Those in the opposition benches have presided over the collapse of our country and are more interested in being in opposition than being a real alternative.
In this election, South Africans have the opportunity to change their vote to a new political party because the change we seek can never come from doing the same thing.
ActionSA towers above all other new political parties. We have contested the 2021 local government elections and emerged as the sixth-largest party despite only contesting six municipalities.
But, it is not only this that sets ActionSA apart.
At a time in which South Africans have every reason to doubt what political leaders say, the only thing that they can count on is what political leaders have done.
Look around at the leaders of political parties in South Africa. Most of them have never worked a day in their life in government.
Those leaders with a track record in government have proven only that they cannot govern or that they govern for some but not all South Africans.
Herman Mashaba’s track record in Johannesburg stands above all others and, under his leadership, Johannesburg began to get better.
As you consider the following achievements under Herman’s leadership in Johannesburg, I invite you to imagine these changes being delivered in national government:
There is little that I can say that these achievements do not convey more convincingly about Herman Mashaba, ActionSA and a track record in government that South Africans can measure when they go to the polls on 29 May.
Imagine with me, just for one moment, this kind of leadership in national government.
Imagine corruption being fought; actual prosecutions for state capture; the ranks of our police swelling; an economy growing under the leadership of someone who has created jobs; the first real alternative to BEE, the lights staying on and the water flowing from the taps.
As you imagine the kind of South Africa that could be, ask yourself who do you see as the leader that will deliver this change and start the work to Fix South Africa?
It’s Herman Mashaba.
Address by Vuyo Kamba, Star of ActionSA Television advert and resident of Finetown
I joined ActionSA because out of all the political parties in South Africa, ActionSA is the only political party that I know can fix our country.
It is the only political party that can improve the lives of me and my family.
It is the only political party that cares for forgotten communities, like the one I live in in Finetown and Meriting.
I am saying this because I saw first-hand the difference Herman Mashaba made in the City of Johannesburg as mayor.
He was the first mayor in the city’s history to give electricity to Finetown and Meriting.
Today, people in my community know what it feels like to boil water or put on the lights because of Ntate Mashaba.
While other political leaders spoke about doing things, Ntate Mashaba took action to make change happen.
He didn’t just sit in a comfortable office, but walked the streets of my community to experience the reality on the ground.
That is why I am proud to be a part of ActionSA’s television advert.
I hope that by sharing my message, other South Africans will be convinced to give ActionSA a chance this year.
This year let’s take action to remove the ruling party and take action to fix South Africa.
Because only action will fix South Africa!
Address by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President
In August 2020, we launched ActionSA to offer South Africans hope in the face of the overwhelming challenges we face as a nation.
We spoke of a new future for our country, filled with a deep sense of conviction, and the promise that we will emerge from the depths of our despair and enter a new age of prosperity.
Almost four years later, our resolve is stronger than ever.
As I stand before you today, I remain convinced that we can and will fix South Africa.
You have just heard from Mr Vuyo Kamba, a resident of Finetown in Johannesburg.
Finetown, and neighbouring Meriting, are very close to my heart.
During my time as the Mayor of Johannesburg, I had the privilege to provide this community with electricity for the first time.
This was a deeply moving experience that deepened my desire to see change in South Africa, and fix the country we love.
I often said during my time as the Mayor that it was the most difficult that I have ever had the privilege of doing.
Leading a city of 5 million people is no easy task when all is well. But the challenge of serving as Mayor of one of the most unequal cities in the world profoundly changes ones perspective on life and society.
On the one hand, Johannesburg is home to Sandton – what many call the richest square mile in Africa.
But literally just down the road from Sandton City one finds Alexandra, where too many residents still live without access to even basic services.
The community of Meriting was no different. Like so many communities across South Africa, it was excluded from the promise of a better life for all.
In 2017, this community received electricity for the very first time, 23 years after our transition to democracy.
This is why this moment was moving for me. I felt proud that my administration could achieve something that those before us had neglected to do for so long.
I was humbled to see the appreciation of people like Vuyo who could make tea with an electric kettle for the first time, and flip a switch to bring light to the dark.
But it was painful to think that despite the change we had brought to Meriting, so much more remained to be done – not only in Johannesburg, but across South Africa.
Unfortunately, the plight of Meriting was not an exception. In that same year we also electrified Kliptown for the first time, where, ironically, the Freedom Charter was first adopted in 1955. Kliptown too had been forgotten.
But, I don’t say this just to dwell on the failures of the past. It is easy to do. What I want to do is prove an alternative.
Instead, I say this to demonstrate that we don’t have to accept the legacy of the past. The electrification of communities like Meriting and Kliptown is proof that there is a better alternative.
Hope is not lost. Change IS possible.
If we have the willpower and dedication to take action to change the world around us, we can make progress as a country.
My fellow South Africans,
From the onset, ActionSA wanted to be different.
We did not want to be a party of words.
We didn’t want to be a party of promises.
But wanted to be a party of action.
A party where through our actions we show what is possible.
Being part of the change that we brought to Johannesburg between 2016 and 2019, is what inspires me to do this difficult job on a daily basis.
In the roughly three years of my administration, we changed Johannesburg’s trajectory and reversed the decline which took place under previous administrations.
Including Meriting and Kliptown, we provided over 10,000 households with electricity for the very first time.
We provided over 11,000 ablution facilities to those without sanitation;
We insourced over 6,000 security guards and cleaners, ending their exploitation by middle-men and giving them the dignity of permanent employment
And we reclaimed the Inner City by handing 154 properties to the private sector for mixed-use development. This unlocked R32 billion in investment, and created 21,000 jobs and 14,500 affordable accommodation opportunities.
It is seeing action bring change that gets me out of bed in the morning. The difference we made in the City of Johannesburg is possible across South Africa.
This is the kind of action ActionSA wants to bring to communities across the country if given the opportunity.
Fellow South Africans,
For that to happen, it requires each and every patriotic South Africa takes action in our own right.
For some of us, that means getting actively involved in politics and fighting against corruption, maladministration and corruption.
For others, it means volunteering our time in our communities, or even just helping our neighbours, friends and families where we can.
Small actions can have a big impact. This year, I am asking you to take a very simple action. I am asking you to exercise your democratic right to vote and remove the government that failed communities like Meriting.
This simple yet powerful action can usher in a new era for South Africa. It can usher in an efficient people-orientated government and public service that will bring prosperity to our land.
People like Vuyo can speak first-hand about the different actions made in their communities.
I am asking you to allow us to make action possible across South Africa this year.
On the 29th of May, ActionSA will be on every ballot paper in the country.
Take action alongside millions of other South Africans this year, and bring change to your community.
Let action lead.
Because only action will fix South Africa.