Carl Niehaus And Ace Magashule
By Thys Khiba – The African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (ARETA) President Carl Niehaus has rejected claims made on Wednesday 30 August, by the newly announced African Congress for Transformation (ACT) party leader Ace Magashule that the two parties had an agreement that ARETA will remain as a non-profit organisation (NPO).
“As I have said earlier, I wish my friend and comrade Ace Magashule all the best with his new endeavour.
“However, for the record, what cde. Ace said in his press conference that there was agreement that ARETA would remain an NPO, is not correct,” said Niehaus.
Niehaus confirmed ARETA started as an NPO and later became a registered political party.
While the party was launched on 23 February 2023, Niehaus said: “ARETA is registered both as an NPO and NPC; whether it will eventually also register as a political party lies in the future, and it will depend on what our signed up members and the people of South Africa want. Ultimately it is about what will best serve our objective of forging unity among all progressive forces of the left to achieve the implementation of Radical Economic Transformation (RET).”
This month ARETA received a letter from IEC Deputy CEO Masego Sheburi to confirm approval of ARETA’s application as a registered political party.
“Please be advised that your application was approved by the Chief Electoral Officer in terms of section 15 of the Electoral Commission Act, 1996 (Act 51 of 1996). The registration of the party will subsequently be published in the government gazettee,” reads the IEC letter.
During the launch of his new political party, former Free State Premier and ANC Secretary General Magashule said his new party ACT will work with ARETA led by President Niehaus and Secretary General Nkosentsha Shezi.
“Areta, we agreed that it should be a non-profit organisation, but it took the route that they took, and we have agreed with comrade Carl and comrade Shezi that we will work together because all of us represent the aspirations of South Africans,” said Magashule.
Magashule boldly said his home province Free State is already in the bag for ACT.
The opposition party, ACT announced on Wednesday at Sakhumzi Restaurant in Vilakazi Street, Soweto that the former head of the Hawks, General Berning Ntlemeza as one of its members.
“Guys, we want an alternative, there must be a change,” said Ntlemeza.
The party is expected to be present in all the country’s nine provinces.
Magashule was suspended from the ANC in December and subsequently expelled in June this year.
centralnewsza