ActionSA initiates changes to secure name on ballots

20 November 2021

ActionSA can now confirm that our notice was published on Friday 19 November 2021 in the government gazette to ensure ActionSA’s name features on the ballots.

The change ensures what was always intended, that ActionSA’s name must feature as ActionSA whether described in full or in abbreviation.

This follows the outcome of the Electoral Court which found against ActionSA’s application to force the IEC to ensure our name featured on the ballot paper for the 2021 local government elections. As soon as these reasons are provided, ActionSA will consider the judgement and any possible legal avenues arising.

With looming by-elections, and the suggestion of election re-runs, it was critical for ActionSA to have its name on the ballot paper to ensure that we are able to contest an election on a equal footing to other political parties.

Analysis of the 2021 local government election results reveals that ActionSA obtained 64 436 less ward votes and PR votes – with the ward ballot being the biggest issue because it was designed without a party name and only space for an abbreviated name which was blank for ActionSA. This variance is a 21% difference in the votes received on the two ballots.

To put this into perspective the variance between other prominent party ballots were as follows:

The momentum that has arisen from these 2021 local government elections has been overwhelming. South Africans are coming forward in their numbers to start ActionSA structures all over the 9 provinces of South Africa. ActionSA is ready to start contesting by-elections and we are confident of our prospects of winning seats away from the ANC and DA.

This is why it is critical that this issue of our representation on ballot papers is addressed with urgency so that no South African should experience any difficulty on a ballot paper when choosing to Fix South Africa.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, President, ActionSA, 21 November 2021