According to its secretary general, Pat Mabandla, who released a statement last week after the deadline, the party has managed to collect the required number of supporters’ signatures necessary for it to qualify to contest the upcoming elections in May, as well as pay the required funds.

“We would like to thank all our members for their hard work and commitment during the submission and the capture of signatures needed by the IEC. We are happy to announce that we met the IEC deadline for the submission of all signatures per province and for the National Assembly,” explained the secretary general of the party.

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Mabandla said the party would contest nationally and in Limpopo, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga. The party’s strong support in the three provinces is primarily due to the presence of Xitsonga speakers, as well as the founder, musician Benny Mayengani’s popularity in these three provinces.

The AADP is the latest new political party to announce it has met the threshold to contest in the upcoming general elections. Mabandla added that the party has also submitted its candidates’ list to the IEC and comprises a fair gender composition. It is also the first political party in the country to have been formed by a musician and proved wrong those who questioned whether he would be able to pay the registration fees that the IEC needs to register a political party