ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont has slammed Rise Mzansi’s SMS campaign urging South Africans not to vote for ActionSA. (Luba Lesolle/Gallo Images)

• Rise Mzansi has launched an SMS campaign, warning voters against ActionSA because it’s aligning with other parties to unseat the ANC.
• ActionSA says this line of attack shows that the ‘Rise Mzansi project has failed to gain any real traction’.
• Find everything you need to know about the 2024 general elections on News24’s Elections Hub.

Political newcomer Rise Mzansi has seemingly imitated its nemesis, the DA, by launching an SMS campaign targeting ActionSA.

ActionSA became aware of a series of paid attack SMSes by Rise Mzansi telling voters not to vote for ActionSA because of its efforts to work with other political parties to remove the ANC.

According to Michael Beaumont, ActionSA national chairperson, the latest SMS campaign comes after an attempt by Rise Mzansi to use paid advertising to manufacture reasons why South Africans should not vote for ActionSA.

“Rise Mzansi has attempted to contrast itself by dishonestly telling South Africans we need new leaders, but instead of bringing something new to the table, the antics we are seeing come from the playbook of the old leadership of the failed political establishment. As a matter of fact, it was as recently as April when Rise Mzansi accused the DA of a negative SMS campaign and yet these have now been imitated,” Beaumont said.

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In a widely distributed SMS from the DA, the party takes aim at Rise Mzansi, which supports land expropriation, as opposed to the DA, which argues that it protects the rights of all landowners. In April, the DA launched an onslaught on new political parties such as Rise Mzansi, labelling them “political mercenaries” who are hell-bent on ousting the DA.

Beaumont said they supported robust political campaigning based on ideas to win over new voters.

“The decision by Rise Mzansi to direct its resources to attack ActionSA, however, makes it clear that the Rise Mzansi project has failed to gain any real traction from this market. Its leaders remain unknown and untested in the eyes of most South Africans. Importantly, their narrow focus on ActionSA will not bring about the change voters are seeking,” Beaumont said.

He said the basis of Rise Mzansi’s latest attack focuses on ActionSA’s efforts to align with other political parties who seek to provide a clear alternative to voters.

“What is strange about this line of attack is that Rise Mzansi has itself ruled out a coalition with the ANC. This then poses the awkward and unanswered question for Rise Mzansi – in a world of coalitions, who does Rise Mzansi imagine it is going to work with for their one or two parliamentary seats to mean anything?” Beaumont said.

Rise Mzansi national spokesperson Gugu Ndima said their messaging was factual.

“Indeed, Rise Mzansi sent a factual SMS to voters across the country, which clearly distinguishes one of the choices that voters have in this election. Either vote for new, capable and ethical leaders who are found in Rise Mzansi or vote for the tired establishment and its offshoots. Vote for Rise Mzansi or vote for ActionSA, which will give its votes to the DA through the Multi-Party Charter,” Ndima said.

Beaumont said Rise Mzansi is free to market whatever positives they want about their party, but they should not “spend abundant and unexplained funds telling South Africans why they shouldn’t vote for parties who seek to remove a corrupt government”.