ActionSA president Herman Mashaba has announced the candidates who will represent his party in the National Assembly after the elections.
He has included in his party list skilled professionals he says will be better suited to serve in his various portfolios should his party govern the country after the elections.
Mashaba said his team was on standby and ready to tackle the biggest challenges facing the country.
“These candidates will form part of a (diverse) caucus… coming from both urban and rural communities, the public and the private sector, and academia and civil society. They represent the best of the South African people.
“Our candidates were selected following a gruelling selection process that saw people from outside politics putting up their hands to take action to build a better country for our people.
“They bring with them the level of skill and expertise needed for ActionSA to turn around the decay which took place under the ruling party and restore South Africa to a path of prosperity.
“With their announcement today, we want to demonstrate to the South African people that we are not a party (made up of) career politicians with no real-world experience.
“This is in stark contrast to the political establishment, who fill parliamentary seats with party loyalists who would never be hired in the private sector.
“No, ActionSA’s depth of leadership (is reflected in) a parliamentary caucus with the skills necessary to enter government and fix South Africa. We are a party that is ready to act, because only action will fix South Africa,” he emphasised.
Mashaba said “Team Fix SA” was committed to streamlining the executive and revising the ministerial handbook. He added that the objective was to form a lean and efficient executive that prioritised performance over patronage, and public service over perks.
“Given the mandate to govern, an ActionSA administration would reduce the number of national government departments to approximately 20 and eliminate the position of deputy minister in all departments.
“We would reduce the benefits ministers receive, including excessive catering and travel allowances; slash the budget for VIP protection; and ensure that ministers are always transparent to the South African people about the actions they take.
“At a time of fiscal constraint and a cost-of-living crisis that is ravaging our nation, the perks of ministers should be slashed before any other budgetary cuts. Leaders must set an example for fiscal responsibility.
“This will save the South African government hundreds of millions in expenditure, which can be reprioritised for frontline service delivery.”
Mashaba said that, whether his organisation garnered enough votes to govern outright or in a coalition, it would remain true to ensuring that only appropriate people were given cabinet positions.
“We will not engage in cadre deployment, nepotism and cronyism. We will only appoint people on merit and with impeccable track records, with a commitment to clean governance and service delivery.
“Today, we are not paying lip service to our commitment to ethical leaders, but turning words into action. Because only action will fix South Africa.
“While other political leaders may make space for compromised leaders within their ranks, ActionSA is unwavering in our commitment that our leaders must be above reproach,” he added.
The ActionSA leader revealed that all party candidates had undergone an extensive and rigorous selection process.
Mashaba said party officials spent countless hours interviewing candidates and conducting assessments to ensure the party sent the best people possible to parliament to potentially fill cabinet positions.
“We didn’t seek to only find prominent candidates, but to find people who possess the necessary qualifications and expertise to tackle our most pressing issues.
“ActionSA wanted to ensure we didn’t appoint career politicians to key positions in cabinet and government, but people who have real-world experience of the portfolios they intend to lead.
“We wanted to ensure that, where we have someone in the education portfolio, that person is an education expert who has experience in turning around educational institutions.
“We wanted to ensure that where someone leads the finance portfolio, (that person is) a chartered accountant who knows how to balance the books,” a confident Mashaba said.
Mashaba announced the following “Team Fix SA” in Johannesburg:
Member for land and agriculture Athol Trollip, who will also serve as the leader of executive business in parliament.
Member for basic education Dr Tsholofelo Maforah.
Member for higher education Dr Tutu Faleni.
Member for international relations Solly Moeng.
Member for economic development Pieter Scribante.
Member for energy and mineral resources Mpho Madisha.
Member for infrastructure and public enterprises Michael Beaumont.
Member for health Dr Kgosi Letlape.
Member for social development Nothukhela Mahkohliso.
Member for substance abuse Dereleen James.
Member for justice and correctional services Julie Seton.
Member for law and order Thuli Khoza.
Member for defence Mohammed Rafeek Shah.
Member for home affairs Lerato Ngobeni.
Member for public service Nompumelelo Edward.
Member for co-operative governance and traditional affairs Sello Lediga.