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Former Johannesburg Mayor and founder of The People’s Dialogue Herman Mashaba will launch a new political party in August to contest next year’s local elections, he announced Tuesday at a virtual press conference.
“Despite this uncertainty that promises to remain a feature of the coming months, I can say without a doubt that we will launch this political party to contest the 2021 local government elections next year.”
The party will contest the elections in Gauteng’s three meters: Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, he said.
The ANC lost full control of the three meters during the 2016 elections, receiving less than 50% in votes, which led to coalition governments.
Not all municipalities.
Mashaba told reporters that he would identify other municipalities to contest during the 2021 elections.
“On a serious note, I can share that we will not be contesting all the municipalities in South Africa. This is the mistake that many new political parties make. They have disputed the 278 municipalities, as new parties with only months to prepare for the elections, with the result unambitious to get a councilor here and there. That is why they have failed. Our political party will identify municipalities that are strategic in nature and where we will win, “he said.
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With plans in place to contest local elections in the country’s economic centers, he said the party will only contest elections in the nine provinces in the 2024 general election.
A political home
“We will focus on the nearly 19 million South Africans of voting age who did not vote in 2019, outperforming those who did vote. These South Africans are not apathetic. They live in the same country as the rest of us. they care about their country.
“They simply haven’t been given a reason to vote, some for a long time. In our online meetings with people from all over South Africa, it’s already clear that many people who join us confess to being the ones who have given up voting for political parties. in South Africa. Our new political party will offer these people a political home, “he said.
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Elections for candidates to represent the party in the three meters will take place before local elections, he said, adding that he was available for the post of mayoral candidate for Johannesburg.
“We will honor those results and those are the names you will see on the ballot in the elections. This same system will ensure that if those elected representatives disappoint you, they can be held accountable and removed.”
The former DA mayor resigned from the party at the height of the fierce factional battles that resulted in Helen Zille retaking the reigns as chairman of the federal council and Mmusi Maimane resigning as party leader.
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In his resignation speech last year, he was unequivocal in his disenchantment with the party, saying that some in the party were more concerned with “mowing the lawn” in the Johannesburg suburbs than with the plight of the poor.
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