Johnathan Paoli
ActionSA President Herman Mashaba has announced the party’s dream team, in order to take the country forward and help fix the state of crises that plagues South Africa.
The party leadership announced on Monday in Johannesburg some of the candidates the party was considering as part of its cabinet, should the party enter government adding that an ActionSA government will be appointed on merit and not political connections.
“We will not engage in cadre deployment, nepotism and cronyism. We will only appoint people on merit and with impeccable track records, with a commitment to clean governance and service delivery,” Mashaba said.
The former DA Federal Chairperson and Executive Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Athol Trollip has been nominated as member of Land and Agriculture.
Trollip currently serves as the leader of Executive Business in Parliament, and Mashaba expressed his pride and trust in the abilities of the former parliamentary leader.
Party National Chairperson Michael Beaumont has been nominated as member of Infrastructure and Public Enterprises, with Mashaba saying Beaumont is the right candidate for the portfolio as he has experience in overseeing extensive projects in infrastructure investment.
“We have someone with the experience to oversee an extensive project of infrastructure investment into the critical areas of roads, water, rail, ports, energy and human settlements, this is the economic infrastructure we need to grow our economy,” the party leader said.
Former Health Professions Council of South Africa president Dr Kgosi Letlape has been announced as ActionSA’s member for the health portfolio.
Letlape recently terminated his membership with the ANC, and Mashaba praised his position and expertise both within the country as well as on the global stage.
ActionSA Director of Communication Samkelo Mgobozi said the candidates were strictly vetted.
“These candidates emerge from an extensive and rigorous head-hunting process that took place over several months to get the best candidates to represent the party in the National Assembly,” Mgobozi said.
National Chairperson Beaumont previously said the party’s parliamentary caucus is going to be the most diverse, the most experienced and the most talented of any political party the country has seen.
“I think South Africans have become weary of a parliament like an old age home. We were very deliberate in trying to find the skills required for fixing the country,” Beaumont said.
This comes on the heels of the party terminating the membership of Limpopo provincial chairperson Letsiri Phaahla last week, following allegations that Phaahla had been negotiating his membership with the newly formed MK Party for some time, while allegedly “extolling the virtues of ActionSA” in the campaign.
Beaumont alleged that Phaahla was offered considerable financial inducement to join MK, and said his move was an indictment on himself.
“Any person who leaves ActionSA to join MK clearly has been ideologically confused and, clearly, has a casual commitment to the notion of ethical leadership if they align with the values of Former President Zuma,” said Beaumont.
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