Johannesburg - Former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has denied claims he split with Mmusi Maimane to form his own party because of differences around which of the two had the more prominent national profile.
Maimane, the former DA leader, said he was still working with Mashaba to form the movement.
He said the movement would challenge the political system.
The two men left the DA last year after the re-election of Helen Zille into a top position in the party.
Sources in the DA said Maimane and Mashaba did not see eye to eye on who should lead a new party.
But Mashaba denied the claim saying Maimane was doing his own thing, and he was also forming his own party in June.
“Tell them they can think whatever they think,” said Mashaba of the claims.
“I have never had an engagement with Mmusi to form one entity.
“Since I left there have been calls for me to form a party,” said Mashaba.
He said after the People’s Dialogue he began a few months ago, a decision has been taken to form a party.
He said he supported what Maimane was doing with his consultation with civil society.
Maimane, who was yesterday addressing people in his consultative visit in Chatsworth, Durban, denied the split.
“It is totally nonsense what those members are saying.
“We are working together with Mashaba to establish the movement,” said Maimane.
He said he wanted a strong movement to challenge the political system. He said there were already 48 parties in the country.
Mashaba said with his party he was targeting 18 million voters who did not vote in the last general elections in May.
“My focus now is to mobilise 18million South Africans who did not vote last year.
“People did not vote because there is not a single party that represents them.
“I have said in the last few days, people who are trying to force a marriage between Mmusi and I are largely the ANC and the DA.
“If Mmusi and I are married let it be for the right reasons. The marriage of convenience is not going to happen,” said Mashaba.
He added that he last spoke to Maimane two weeks ago and they spoke about what each one of them was doing.