PHUTI MOSOMANE
ACTIONSA National Chairperson Michael Beaumont says the party has decided to dismiss the two councillors at the City of Tshwane council for allegedly voting with Congress of the People (COPE) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM) for the positions of mayor and Speaker, respectively.
“The decision to terminate the membership of Councillors Mhlana and Baloyi arises directly from the investigation into councillors who are believed to have voted for former Councillor Makwarela on 28 February 2023.”
“The investigation into the Councillors has been ongoing for weeks and has come to the conclusion that the Councillors voted for Makwarela on 28 February and for the ATM candidate for Speaker, Councillor Ndzwanana, on 13 March. It is further believed that Baloyi provided the location of the polygraph tests of 6 March to the EFF and was at least partially responsible for the disruption that occurred on that day,” Beaumont said.
He rejected suggestions that the two were dismissed solely upon polygraph tests.
“Both councillors failed on two separate occasions on both the question of voting against the coalition and being offered rewards for doing so. The investigations concluded that the polygraph test results are corroborated sufficiently by additional evidence for ActionSA to take these steps.”
Beaumont said the two Councillors attended caucus meetings and resolved to support the relevant coalition candidate on both 6 and 13 March 2023.
Last week ActionSA fired councillor Nkele Molapo who was accused of sharing party information with her husband, Abel Tau. The party has also parted aways with Gauteng chairperson Bongani Baloyi.
Some have raised questions about whether ActionSA’s President Herman Mashaba is running the party like his own private entity. Baloyi raised issues about the differences of approach between him and Mashaba as the party founder.
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