ActionSA lists reflect the diversity, youth and skills to fix SA

26 March 2024

Following a successful launch of our national manifesto on Saturday, ActionSA today reveals our candidate lists for the National Assembly and for all nine Provincial Legislatures which we will contest these 2024 elections.

Our lists have worked to combine the diversity expected from the most diverse and rapidly growing party in South Africa, an infusion of youth excellence and the necessary industry skills and experience needed to lead important portfolios in the National Assembly.

ActionSA’s candidate selection process began in September 2023 and was guided by a candidate selection policy that was the product of months of engagements within provincial structures. The process required a candidate, as a prerequisite, to either have a post-matric qualification or relevant industry experience applicable to the portfolios in the National Assembly or Provincial Legislatures.

Candidates had to produce the required documentation to prove that they have not been convicted of any criminal offence and to affirm that they were not the subject of any criminal investigation. Candidates were required to present evidence of a track record of community leadership and were examined on their ethics and value alignment. An interview was conducted with every candidate, which included practical assignments relevant to the work of a Member of the National Assembly or Provincial Legislature.

ActionSA’s candidate lists provide for a number of candidates at least equal to 51% of the seats in the relevant legislature, however, in each instance a likely-to-be elected caucus has been defined based on conservative estimates of support ActionSA will receive on the different ballots.

In the instance of the National List, the likely-to be elected caucus is a subset of the list that is based on the attainment of our election objectives. Within this conservative estimate, ActionSA will field what is likely to be the most diverse caucus in the history of the National Assembly with 80% of the likely-to-be-elected caucus being black, Indian or coloured South Africans. 40% of this likely-to-be elected caucus are female candidates and 31% are below the age of 40 years old.

This diversity was achieved not through artificial manipulations of our lists but through excellence that does not require ActionSA to see concepts like diversity and merit as mutually exclusive but rather as co-dependent principles of our party.

Within this likely-to-be elected caucus are the 18 members of Team Fix South Africa, the shadow cabinet presented by Herman Mashaba two weeks ago. These individuals who will be elected to serve in the National Assembly offer the most credible and experienced contrast to a bloated cabinet of failed Ministers and Deputy Ministers who exist more to balance forces within the ANC than to serve South Africa.

ActionSA’s provincial lists are led by our announced Premier Candidates and reflect teams of people that are focussed on the core competencies of Provincial Government of Education and Healthcare. Particular focus is also being paid on the subject of Cooperative Governance in provinces given how many South Africans greatest experience of government failure relates to the collapse of municipal services of electricity, water, sewage and customer care.

ActionSA’s presents its first set of national and provincial candidate lists to South Africans knowing that we have raised the low bar set by the failed political establishment in terms of diversity, skills and experience that gives credence to the idea that Only ActionSA Can Fix South Africa.

Issued by Michael Beaumont, National Chairperson, ActionSA, 26 March 2024