ActionSA has clarified its stance, distancing itself from the controversy around the book titled The Unauthorised Biography of Herman Mashaba.
This after ActionSA member Brutus Malada claimed that Mashaba had played a significant role in the creation of the book written by political analyst Prince Mashele.
It is alleged that Mashele had received a substantial sum of R12.5-million from Mashaba to write the biography.
In response to the allegations, ActionSA National Chairperson Michael Beaumont issued a statement on Monday, asserting that while Mashaba may have provided funding for the book, he had no control over its content.
Beaumont emphasized that the biography was not a project of ActionSA and was initiated two years before the party’s launch, during Mashaba’s tenure as the Mayor of Johannesburg.
Beaumont clarified that in October 2018, Mashele presented a plan to finance the book to Mashaba. However, when it became apparent that raising funds would be challenging, Mashaba agreed to personally provide the initial finance of R12.5 million.
“A plan to finance the book was presented by Mashele to Mashaba in October 2018 but when it became clear that raising the funds would be challenging, Mashaba agreed to provide the initial finance of R12.5 million in his personal capacity.
“A contract was signed in March 2019 which provided explicit editorial control of content to the author, Mashele. Mashaba was to provide access for interviews and was availed with manuscripts from time to time to comment on factual accuracy. Mashaba was forthcoming about his role in reviewing the manuscript for accuracy at the recent launch of the book. The following is an excerpt of the signed contract: ‘While the Subject [Mashaba] shall be entitled to make suggestions regarding the inclusion of certain important events, facts or such other details, the Author shall be the ultimate owner of the contents of the Biography’.
“Financing a project does not provide editorial control of content which has been a surprising claim by some members of the media, whose publications are owned by private financial interests. Mashaba had no relationship with the publishers, Jonathan Ball Publishers, and this relationship was dealt with by Mashele as was determined in the contract since in March 2019,” he said.
Furthermore, Beaumont highlighted that Mashaba had no involvement with the publishers, Jonathan Ball Publishers.
He said the relationship with the publisher was solely handled by Mashele, as determined in the contract.
Beaumont also clarified that Mashaba had no prior knowledge of the book cover or its sub-heading, as those decisions were made by the author and the publishers themselves.
Addressing the allegations made by Malada, Beaumont questioned his credibility and raised concerns about his motives.
Beaumont stated that Malada had allegedly received over R3 million for research on the book over the past three years and only expressed moral concerns after a fallout with Mashele. Beaumont defended Mashaba’s ethical integrity and dismissed opportunistic political opponents who sought to exploit the situation for their gain.
“ActionSA stands behind the ethical integrity of its President, Herman Mashaba, which remains unimpeached. Opportunistic political opponents have sought to use this matter to score political points against ActionSA because of our party’s rapid growth trajectory. ActionSA stands proud that the President of our party has lived a remarkable life with many achievements that have given him the means to finance this project and share a story that is worthy of being told,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ANC in Gauteng expressed its concerns over Mashaba’s actions, referring to them as “gross deception.”
The ANC put forward the argument that unauthorized biographies are often perceived as being more objective and truthful when compared to biographies in which the subject actively participates in modelling the narrative.
“Unauthorised biographies, even as they may not be privy to some information or corrections known only to the subject or the subject’s close friends and family, are considered as more objective and thus, tend to be regarded as a relatively more truthful account than those in which the subject participates in the shaping of the narrative.
“This is precisely what makes Mashaba’s actions more problematic. He actively orchestrated a deception not only to the publishers of the book but to the entire country and an electorate to whom he has presented himself as an ethical and moral person. Mashaba knowingly facilitated this unconscionable deception not only because he is a master of self-aggrandisement, but because he undermines the collective intelligence of South Africans, whom he has demonstrated great disdain with such an action,” said Lesego Makhubele, ANC Gauteng Spokesperson.
In response to the unfolding controversy, Jonathan Ball Publishers has decided to withdraw the biography from circulation.
The publishing house stated that it was unaware of any funding agreement between Mashele and Mashaba when it signed the publishing agreement in 2022.
Considering this as a material non-disclosure and a breach of trust, the company felt compelled to remove the books from stores.
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