Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
28 January 2026
📸 ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont speaks on the party’s expansion ahead of local government elections.
ActionSA has announced the expansion of its political footprint after merging with two smaller political movements, a move the party says will strengthen opposition consolidation ahead of the upcoming local government elections later this year.
Party leader Herman Mashaba confirmed that the Azanian Independent Community Movement (AICM) and the Creatives Congress Movement (CCM) have officially been incorporated into ActionSA. The move forms part of the party’s broader Operation Green Umbrella, a programme aimed at bringing smaller, locally represented parties under a single banner to build a credible alternative in municipalities across the country.
Speaking to Radio Islam International, ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the decision to merge was driven by the urgent need to address governance failures at local government level.
“We have so many challenges in this country, and the only way we can address them is if we consolidate alternatives to those political parties that are failing us at local government and national government level,” Beaumont said.
He highlighted the growing frustration among voters with fragmented opposition politics, noting that previous local government elections saw ballot papers listing dozens of parties. “The last time I voted in a local government election, my ballot paper had 55 parties on it, and it is crazy,” he said.
Beaumont dismissed claims that ActionSA should have prioritised talks with parties such as the Good Party or BOSA, arguing that local representation is crucial in the municipal context.
“We’re going towards a local government election. Having councillors in municipalities who can fight the fights of their residents and drive issues on their behalf is absolutely vital,” he said.
According to Beaumont, the latest mergers bring seven additional councillors into ActionSA’s ranks, expanding the party’s presence into municipalities where it previously had no representation. He said this growth is central to building a viable alternative to long-established parties.
“Municipalities across South Africa are broken. If people keep voting the way they’ve always voted, they’re going to suffer the way they’ve always suffered,” Beaumont warned.
ActionSA has grown its number of councillors from 90 following the 2021 local government elections to more than 150, with the AICM and CCM becoming the 12th and 13th parties to join under Operation Green Umbrella.
Responding to criticism that the party’s electoral support has declined since its 2021 breakthrough, Beaumont rejected the assertion.
“ActionSA is demonstrating that it is the fastest-growing party,” he said, citing recent by-election gains and growing support in townships across Gauteng, where the party has emerged as a leading opposition force.
Beaumont confirmed that talks with other smaller parties are ongoing, stressing that ActionSA remains focused on organisations with a strong local government footprint ahead of the upcoming elections.
“Political parties that have no local government footprint are irrelevant in a local government context,” he said.
Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Ibrahim Daya and Michael Buemint.
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