ActionSA challenges leaders of 4 largest political parties represented in Parliament to undergo lifestyle audits 

15 April 2024

ActionSA has written to the leaders of the four largest political parties represented in the national assembly, being the ANC, DA, EFF and IFP, to agree to undergo voluntary lifestyle audits, by acclaimed independent forensics expert Paul O'Sullivan, within 14 days. O'Sullivan has already agreed to conduct these lifestyle audits at an approximate cost of R5,000 to R10,000, which ActionSA has offered to pay for.

If a country is plagued by trust deficit between political leaders and citizens, and high levels of moral decay and corruption, as ActionSA we must find a way to rebuild trust and give hope to South Africans. We must give South Africans the opportunity to vote for political leaders who are free from any corruption allegations and above reproach.

Therefore, on behalf of ActionSA, I am challenging the leaders of the four largest political parties represented in Parliament to undergo public lifestyle audits ahead of the 2024 national elections. As the leader of ActionSA, a party committed to ethical leadership, I have long volunteered to undergo a lifestyle audit and I believe these audits should then be published for public scrutiny.

There are simply too many accusations of possible corrupt activities among our political leaders to increase their assets and income, and a lifestyle audit will provide clarity as to whether voters need to be concerned. O'Sullivan furthermore has a long track record of independence and investigation, helping to unearth the corruption of former police commissioner Jackie Selebi, and any political leader seeking to represent the South African people would therefore accept the offer to clear their name.

Any political leader seeking to represent the South African people should be willing to show voters whether they have anything to hide. I have nothing to hide and will be the first to undergo an audit to prove this. I challenge other political party leaders to do the same. We simply do not want to find ourselves in a situation after the 29 May elections where political leaders use state resources to their own benefit by covering their larger-than-life expenses.

It is only when we vote for ethical leaders who can lead by example that we can turn around the breakdown in public service in South Africa which battles cronyism, corruption, and abuse. ActionSA is a party that does not simply want to speak about the need for ethical leadership but wants to show through our actions our commitment to it which is why we have made the invitation to political leaders. Because, Only Action Will Fix South Africa.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, President, ActionSA, 15 April 2024