Former ActionSA member in process of suing the party

Former ActionSA senior member Abel Tau will forge ahead with litigation against his former political home, following the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) dropping of the sexual assault charges for which he was initially expelled.

His decision has been seen as a move likely to bolster his campaign to contest the 2024 elections without a gender-based violence (GBV) cloud hanging over his head.

Principle

“It’s a matter of principle. It is important that we take on bullies wherever they are, so that there is fairness. You can’t have a political party that doesn’t have an appeals mechanism [after expelling a member],” Tau told The Citizen yesterday at the launch of his new party, The Transformation Alliance (TTA) in Pretoria.

This is Tau’s second political party after he initially launched United Africans Transformation following his expulsions from ActionSA. He has since left the party over disagreements.

Dismissed

Tau was dismissed from ActionSA in November 2022 after allegations of sexual harassment and accusations that he had abused council resources. NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahajana said after receiving representations and consulting with the complainant, the NPA decided not to enrol the matter.

Tau said when the courts vindicate him that he was unfairly dismissed, it would show that the ActionSA abused its power to get rid of him.

He accused ActionSA of playing delay tactics by not making submissions in court “My lawyers are frustrated with getting records of proceedings of the hearing.

They must submit it to court and they haven’t given it to the registrar.” Tau insisted his explosion was nothing but a political ploy to get rid of him.

READ MORE: NPA drops sexual assault case against ex-ActionSA leader Abel Tau

Guilty

“I was found guilty of something different from what I was charged for and they thought I was going to take this lying down. “This is a lesson, that dirty politics will not go far and should not be tolerated.” Meanwhile, ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont said the party stood by its decision to expel Tau.

He said the party’s decision to expel him before his case was fully ventilated in the courts was not premature. “The party came to the conclusion that he was guilty of abusing his position of leadership and trust in ActionSA to cultivate an intimate and personal relationship with a person with whom there was a power differential,” said Beaumont.

“You will note that this is not a criminal charge but a charge that is an abuse of position of power which he was found guilty of and that is what the senate (ActionSA’s highest decision-making body) found him guilty of and terminated his membership.”

Beaumont said they were not worried that Tau would take ActionSA to court for unfair dismissal from the party. “ActionSA’s disciplinary hearing was chaired by various experienced legal people.

This particular one was chaired by an advocate and an acting judge.” Tau announced his new party would soon unveil its election manifesto after revealing that it had registered with the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) to contest the elections.

He called on women not to stop using GBV as a weapon to destroy men. “I call on women to refrain from this. Men have allowed themselves to be victims of weaponised GBV and we should never do that. “GBV in our country is a very serious problem and anyone who wants to sign up to be a member of our organisation must sign a pledge that they will not perpetrate GBV,” he said.

More expulsions

Meanwhile, Tau’s wife and former ActionSA member, Nkele Molapo, and two other councillors who were fired by ActionSA after allegedly voting with the ANC/ Economic Freedom Fighters-led coalition in Tshwane, which saw Dr Marunwa Makwarela appointed mayor, are also going to court on Tuesday to appeal their expulsion.

Molapo was expelled for allegedly leaking confidential party information to Tau. On 13 March, Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler ruled that Molapo could not participate in the election for council speaker, which resulted in Mncedi Ndzwanana being elected.

If the court rules in favour of Molapo and the two councillors, it would mean all decisions taken in council after their expulsion would be unlawful.

This would include, the elections of speaker, mayor Cilliers Brink and the recently passed budget invalid. “We’re going to court next week and I’m hoping the judge will rule in our favour. We hope those who abused power … for the longest time are taken to task,” Tau said.

ALSO READ: Abel Tau won’t return to ActionSA despite legal action, launches new political party

– lungam@citizen.co.za