Rise Mzansi exposing itself as same old politics in new packaging

28 May 2024 

ActionSA notes a new series of paid attack smses launched by Rise Mzansi telling South Africans not to vote for ActionSA because of our efforts to work with other political parties to remove the ANC.

This comes on the back of previous clumsy attempt by Rise Mzansi to use paid advertising to manufacture reasons why South Africans should not vote ActionSA.

The truth is that while Rise Mzansi has attempted to position themselves as a party led by the voices of the people of South Africa, it was ActionSA that was founded on the views voiced by millions South Africans during the People’s Dialogue in 2020.

Rise Mzansi has attempted to contrast itself by dishonestly telling South Africans we need new leaders but instead of bringing something new to the table, the antics we are seeing come from the playbook of the old leadership of the failed political establishment. As a matter of fact, it was as recently as April when Rise Mzansi accused the DA of negative sms campaigns and yet these have now been imitated.

ActionSA supports robust political campaigning based on the competition of ideas to win over new voters, especially from the failed political establishment and the corrupt governing party. The decision by Rise Mzansi to direct its resources to attacking ActionSA, however, makes it clear that the Rise Mzansi project has failed to gain any real traction from this market with its leaders remaining unknown and untested in the eyes of most South Africans.

Importantly, their narrow focus on ActionSA will not bring about the change voters are seeking. The basis of Rise Mzansi’s latest attack focus on ActionSA’s efforts to align with other political parties who seek to provide a clear alternative to South Africans looking for a pathway to change. What is strange about this line of attack is that Rise Mzansi has itself ruled out coalition with the ANC. This then poses the awkward and unanswered question for Rise Mzansi – in a world of coalition who does Rise Mzansi imagine it is going to work with for their one or two parliamentary seats to mean anything? 

We encourage Rise Mzansi to market whatever positives they can about their party and not to spend their abundant and unexplained funds telling South Africans why they shouldn’t vote for other parties.

We wish Rise Mzansi good luck in these elections because we need like-minded political parties to fight for South Africans and not against each other. We hope that they will not squander the little support they have by seeking relevance from those who have more of it.

Issued by Michael Beaumont, ActionSA National Chairperson, 28 May 2024