ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has welcomed DA’s former spokesperson for sports, arts and culture Tsepo Mhlongo to ActionSA. This happens hardly a week after Mhlongo was expelled from the DA.
Mhlongo had a messy divorce with the party, led by John Steenhuisen. He was charged with “kitchen canvassing”.
Electioneering fraud
The party had charged Mhlongo for allegedly colluding with his fellow campaigners in what the party said was electioneering fraud. This was when the DA was campaigning for local government elections in 2021.
After his expulsion, Mhlongo’s supporters told Sunday World last week that they believed he was targeted for reporting corruption allegedly committed by white leaders.
The former MP, Mhlongo, had fingered Steenhuisen and the Gauteng party leader Manuel “Manny” de Freitas in the corruption.
Corruption accusations
He claimed that Steenhuisen and De Freitas had a corrupt relationship. He alleged that party funds were used to push the campaign for Steenhuisen to become the party’s leader in 2020.
On Tuesday, former DA leader Mbali Ntuli entered the fray. She supported Mhlongo’s claims that the party funds were used to push Steenhuisen’s campaign.
In response to the PR disaster and the mess that Mhlongo’s expulsion has caused, the DA issued a statement on the same day.
The party said it wanted to address recent statements made by Ntuli. This relates to the alleged misconduct during the 2020 leadership campaign.
DA responds
“The DA takes all complaints of possible misconduct seriously and handles them in accordance with our federal constitution.
“In the case of Mr Tsepo Mhlongo, he was given a fair opportunity to address the serious allegations against him during a formal hearing. He was found guilty of misconduct based on dishonesty in the performance of his duties.
“It is important to note that ongoing disciplinary processes involving other members do not imply preferential treatment. Each case is thoroughly investigated, and due process is followed,” reads the statement.
The party also said that Ntuli seemed to reflect more on her unresolved sentiments. This stems from her unsuccessful bid for the federal leader position – than on the internal processes of the party.
New political home
Speaking to Sunday World on Thursday, Mhlongo said he has joined ActionSA as an ordinary member and that he was grateful that he had found a new political home after being hounded out of the DA when he reported corruption against party leaders.
“You can’t keep a good man down. I have joined ActionSA as I believe that it is a principled party with the vision and ideologies I am aligned to. And in that regard, I am happy that I am now part of the team that is aiming to take South Africa forward under the leadership of President Herman Mashaba,” said Mhlongo.
He said he will start working the ground to mobilise the young and old in Gauteng. This will be to make them understand the vision and direction that ActionSA is taking. The ex-DA official said he will push for his people to vote for ActionSA in the forthcoming elections.
Mashaba was upbeat as he welcomed “former MP Tsepo Mhlongo officially to team ActionSA”.
