ActionSA members in KZN resign en masse to join Kenny Kunene’s Patriotic Alliance

Deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance, Kenny Kunene, gave out the party’s branded T-shirts to members during their launch at Suncoast Casino. Picture: Tumi Pakkies/African News Agency (ANA)

Deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance, Kenny Kunene, gave out the party’s branded T-shirts to members during their launch at Suncoast Casino. Picture: Tumi Pakkies/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Feb 27, 2022

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DURBAN - Disgruntled ActionSA members have crossed the floor to the Patriotic Alliance (PA), following a fallout with ActionSA party leader Herman Mashaba.

In a special welcome event in Durban on Thursday, the PA’s second in command, Kenny Kunene, welcomed several new members who hail from different branches in the eThekwini region.

Accompanied by Rocky Clark, the chair of PA in KwaZulu-Natal, Kunene said that his party has taken interest in building a strong presence in the province, and eThekwini was identified as a place of interest following the underperformance of the governing party in the metro.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to be in the city to welcome new members who left ActionSA to join us. This is a sign of confidence in our party, as people see it as an alternative home for all.

“Here we do not prioritise interests of certain people at the expense of hard-working members on the ground ensuring that our party has presence everywhere. We now prepare the PA to garner support in the next general elections, so every member who joins the party adds to the target we have set in order to boost our membership,” said Kunene.

He added: “We have seats in various councils in the province, and we continue playing a very important role as the opposition by ensuring that people receive the service they rightfully deserve.”

Deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance, Kenny Kunene, gave out the party’s branded T-shirts to members during their launch at Suncoast Casino. Picture: Tumi Pakkies/African News Agency (ANA)

Clark mentioned that the provincial leadership was growing its membership, as it was important for the party to attract support as the governing party struggles to keep its former majority status.

“We are very excited to welcome hard-working members who have decided to join us. We will work closely with them and ensure that we build stronger branches.

Makhosi Hadebe of ward 26 in eThekwini region, said she decided to join the Patriotic Alliance after her former party showed less regard for women when they mistreated former ActionSA provincial chair Dr Makhosi Khoza.

“Gender-based violence is a serious problem in our country and we cannot associate with a party that does not have respect for women. I joined ActionSA because of Dr Makhosi Khoza; now she is being isolated by the party. I hate how she was treated by Mashaba.”

Siyabonga Dlamini of ward 56 in the Midlands stressed that they had worked hard for ActionSA but were never recognised for their work, and the leaders of his former party never went back to thank them for helping the party get support in the 2021 elections.

“We cannot be the party that respects white people more than blacks who are the majority that works very hard. Now that we have joined the PA, we will do whatever it takes to ensure that corruption is dealt with and the looting of state funds is stopped because we are tired of corruption,” said Dlamini.

Contacted for comment, ActionSA chair in KZN, Musa Khubeka, said he was not aware that there were resignations from his party.

“If there are people leaving the party, the regional leadership must make us aware. In this case, we have not been briefed on anything regarding this,” said Khubeka.

Approached for comment, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said: “Good riddance… We wish them luck and a great future.”

Daily News

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ActionSAKwaZulu-Natal