Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane has quietly established a new party that will contest the 2024 general elections, with him running as its presidential candidate.
The new political outfit’s identity is due to be revealed during its launch scheduled for Saturday at Naledi in Soweto.
The One SA Movement (OSA), which Maimane formed in January 2020, three months after leaving the DA, will remain a civic organisation campaigning for radical changes to the country’s electoral laws, including allowing independent candidates and community-based organisations to contest national and provincial elections.
Maimane, who once said there was no need for more political parties in SA, told the Sunday Times on Friday that because the Electoral Act had not changed sufficiently to allow independents to stand, he was forced to go the political party route.
“I guaranteed South Africans that I would stand, but they [parliament] have made it impossible for me to stand for a presidential election without amending the law. That’s why we need the platform,” he said.
He said the party — or platform — would give power back to the people, who would coalesce under the umbrella body to bring about change.
“I am standing for that,” he said.
I guaranteed South Africans that I would stand, but they [parliament] have made it impossible for me to stand for a presidential election without amending the law
Maimane’s spokesperson, Graham Charters, said they felt compelled to launch a new political vehicle ahead of the 2024 elections as they have lost confidence in parliament’s handling of the Electoral Amendment Bill.
The bill stems from a Constitutional Court order in June 2020, which found that the Electoral Act was unlawful and unconstitutional as it barred independent candidates from contesting for seats in parliament.
But Charters said Maimane had opted to set up his own political party as he was not happy with changes that were being pushed by the ANC and other parties in parliament, arguing that they would disadvantage independent candidates and continue the dominance of parties.
As the bill stands, the 400 parliamentary seats would be split in half, with 200 contested on a constituency basis and the other 200 under proportional representation.
“As an independent candidate, you can’t qualify for the other 200 seats”, said Charters.
“So, what we are trying to do is make it fair so that ... even if you don’t get elected on the 200 constituency seats, you might get enough votes to get a seat in parliament on the PR list. You are still there on your own merit.
“It’s idealistic and we are still trying to work out the nuts and bolts of it. There is a model there that could work.
“All we are trying to do is allow people with constituencies, who want to run for an election, to be able to aggregate under a banner,” said Charters.
Candidates under the umbrella would qualify for PR seats in parliament according to the number of votes they individually received in the election
Charters said the ANC and other dominant parties in parliament were manipulating the process to change the Electoral Act as ordered by the Constitutional Court.
“It has become clear that parliament is going to pass a new law that will make it very difficult for independents and community organisations to stand alone and compete in elections. It undermines their prospects of success.
“We must play with the cards we have, not the cards we’d so hoped to have.
“Therefore, for the people to take back power and bring change in the 2024 elections, we need to all stand under one umbrella body to maximise and to aggregate votes at national and provincial level,” he said.
All we are trying to do is allow people with constituencies, who want to run for an election, to be able to aggregate under a banner
— Graham Charters, Mmusi Maimane’s spokesperson
The names of prominent South Africans who will form part of Maimane's new political project are due to be unveiled at the launch.
“The vehicle will centre its identity on the value of ubuntu and seek to bring together 100 candidates from diverse constituencies to contest in the 2024 elections,” said Charters.
“It’s time to re-engage those people for a franchise model of politics that may excite them, that’s not another run of the mill political party.”
Because of its “franchise model”, ideologically the party “will be as loose as you want it to be”.
Charters used the example of how a Free State farmer who has a constituency concerned about farm murders or food security could run under Maimane’s umbrella and push that issue in parliament.
“That’s fine as long as you subscribe to these very basic values everyone subscribes to in SA, nonracialism and ubuntu.
“The umbrella would vote on certain things, just like a coalition government does. It’s give and take; it’s negotiation and then you vote,” he said.
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