Mashaba gearing up to contest local elections in three metros

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 at a virtual media briefing on Tuesday.  

"Despite this uncertainty which promises to remain a feature of the months to come, I can say without any doubt that we will launch this political party to contest the 2021 local government elections next year."

The party will contest the elections in the three Gauteng metros - Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, he said.

The ANC lost its full control of the three metros during the 2016 elections, receiving less than 50% in votes, which led to coalition governments.

Not all municipalities

Mashaba told journalists 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 municipalities in South Africa. This is the mistake that many new political parties make. They have contested all 278 municipalities, as new parties with only months to prepare for elections, with the unambitious outcome of gaining a councillor here and there. This 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 the local elections in the country's economic hubs, he said the party would only contest elections in all nine provinces in the 2024 general elections.

A political home

"Our focus will be on the almost 19 million South Africans of voting age who did not vote in 2019, out numbering those who did vote. These South Africans are not apathetic. They live in the same country as the rest of us that is in deep need of change and the they care about their country.

"They have just not been given a reason to vote, some for a very long time. In our online meetings with people across South Africa, it is already clear that many people joining us are confessing to be those who have given up on voting for the political parties in South Africa. Our new political party is going to offer these people a political home," he said.

Elections for candidates to represent the party in the three metros will take place before the local elections, he said, adding that he was available for the position of Johannesburg’s mayoral candidate.

"We will honour those outcomes and those are the names you will see on the ballot paper in the elections. This same system will ensure that if those elected representatives let you down, they can be held to account and removed."

The former DA mayor resigned from the party at the height of bruising factional battles which resulted in Helen Zille taking back the reigns as federal council chairperson and Mmusi Maimane resigning as the party leader.

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In his blistering resignation speech last year, he was unequivocal in his disenchantment of the party, saying that some in the party were more concerned about "cutting grass" in Johannesburg's suburbs than the plight of the poor.