ActionSA announces merger with two smaller parties, but analysts doubt merger will boost support

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has announced the expansion of the party through the merger of two smaller political movements, but analysts have expressed doubts that the move will deliver a significant electoral boost.

Mashaba announced on Monday that the Azanian Independent Community Movement (AICM) and the Creatives Congress Movement (CCM) would be incorporated into ActionSA, as part of its strategy to consolidate opposition support ahead of the local government elections later this year.

ActionSA’s electoral support has declined steadily since its breakthrough performance in the 2021 local government elections. 

In the 2024 national and provincial polls, the party secured just 1.2% of the national vote.

In Johannesburg, ActionSA won 296,345 votes in the 2021 local elections, translating into 16.05% and 44 of the city’s 270 council seats. 

Although the party did not win any wards outright, it remains the city’s third-largest party in council and will retain its 44 seats until the 2026 local elections.

In January 2025, ActionSA announced plans to unite smaller opposition parties under a single banner.

It previously said it would absorb Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD), which received 18,523 votes in the 2024 national elections.

Announcing the merger, Mashaba said the addition of AICM and CCM would increase ActionSA’s representation by seven councillors.

He said the partnership would expand the party’s footprint in the North West and give ActionSA a platform within the creative sector.

“It is with that, that I am pleased to announce that today, ActionSA will be joined by the Azanian Independent Community Movement and the Creatives Congress Movement.

“Together, this partnership will see ActionSA's representation grow by seven councillors, further expand our reach in the North West, and establish a presence representing a movement of artists and creatives, whose membership will enable ActionSA to bring their voices into decision-making, champion innovative cultural initiatives, and strengthen our connection with diverse communities.”

Mashaba said the merger forms part of the “Green Umbrella Project,” which he said aims to bring diverse political groupings together under one banner to offer communities a unified alternative.

However, political analyst Professor Theo Neethling told IOL News that the strategic value of the merger remains uncertain.

“Whether the merger will substantially strengthen ActionSA remains open to doubt.”

“The Azanian Independent Community Movement is best described as a community-rooted civic-political formation focused primarily on local service delivery and grassroots representation,” Neethling said.

“Despite its name, which suggests possible links to Azanian identity politics, it lacks a clearly articulated national ideological profile.”

Neethling said the movement has not held parliamentary seats or secured a meaningful national vote share in previous elections.

He said similar limitations apply to the Creatives Congress Movement, whose appeal has remained narrow and sector-specific.

“CCM’s support appears largely confined to parts of the creative industries rather than the broader electorate,” he said.

“From both an ideological and electoral perspective, neither grouping brings a substantial national constituency. On this basis, it is difficult to see how their incorporation will significantly enhance ActionSA’s national profile or materially improve its electoral prospects in the forthcoming elections.”

Meanwhile, Build One South Africa (BOSA) has merged with GOOD and partnered with Rise Mzansi. 

The alliance will contest the 2026 local government elections under a new centrist banner, Unite for Change.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics