JOHANNESBURG - ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba is putting his foot down and setting the record straight.
He says absolutely no one will dictate ActionSA’s coalition choices.
In a scathing opinion piece, he tells political commentators to stop undermining his leadership.
"There comes a time when political disagreement must be separated from outright disrespect. I have reached a point where I will no longer remain silent while people attempt to bully, undermine and dictate to me and the political organisation I lead," Mashaba wrote in his opinion piece.
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His remarks follow persistent doubts about ActionSA’s independence, with critics painting the party as a DA offshoot.
Mashaba quit the Democratic Alliance in October 2019.
Yet, the DA’s shadow follows him.
"Let me make this absolutely clear: ActionSA is an independent political party. We are not an extension of the DA, the ANC, the EFF or any other political organisation. We are not a political project that requires permission from other parties to make decisions.
"We have our own leadership, our own principles, our own supporters and, most importantly, a responsibility to the millions of South Africans who have placed their trust in us," Mashaba said.