ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has announced premier candidates for Mpumalanga, the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections.
The candidates include former DA MPs Patricia Kopane and Athol Trollip, with a former ANC Women’s League leader Thoko Mashiane. The three will be premier candidates for the Free State, Eastern Cape and the Mpumalanga province, respectively.
Mashaba unveiled them with confidence at a media briefing on Tuesday, stating that they would represent the leadership’s vision to transform the provinces.
“They come from diverse backgrounds and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience which will be invaluable as we work to fix South Africa.
“And I do not doubt that they represent the calibre of leadership needed to turn around our provinces,” he said.
Mashiane is a former municipal manager and a former provincial women’s leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Mashaba said she has over the past few months proven herself able to quickly build structures in Mpumalanga and has been able to reach far-flung regions of the province.
“She brings with her governance expertise in a province which has been plagued by a breakdown in the rule of law, including open borders, unreliable service delivery and where the poorest have fallen victim to the VBS scandal,” he said.
He expressed confidence in Trollip, saying his experience as former mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality would work wonders.
According to Mashaba, he brought knowledge to ActionSA where he helped launch hundreds of new branches and establish a formidable ground operation to take on the ruling party.
“He brings with him invaluable understanding of governance in a province which has been hollowed out by the ruling party. He knows how to efficiently run an administration, and will therefore be able to hit the ground running to fix the province,” he added.
Announcing Kopane, Mashaba said as a former nurse, she has in-depth knowledge of South Africa’s broken healthcare system.
In a province where state capture crippled the State, the party leader said Kopane would be able to bring the practical solutions necessary to restore front-line service delivery to improve the lives of all residents living in the province.
He stated that the candidates will bring change and show leadership to their respective regions.
He further said that the premier candidate for the Western Cape and Gauteng will only be announced in two week's time.
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