ActionSA announced on Thursday that it is officially out of the Multi-Party Charter (MPC), citing a “serious breach” by other political parties who it said publicly signed and campaigned under an agreement that expressly ruled out working relationships with the African National Congress (ANC).

Following the May 29 national and provincial elections, the ANC lost its majority in Parliament. It received only 40.18% of the national vote while also losing its provincial majority in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Northern Cape.

The ANC has begun coalition engagements with other political parties, including the Democratic Alliance and the Inkatha Freedom Party, both of which are part of the MPC.

Updating the media on the outcomes of a two-day ActionSA Senate meeting, party spokesperson Michael Beaumont highlighted that it had assessed a potential Parliament in which the opposition formed a coalition with the ANC and had determined that ActionSA was going to have to be the unofficial opposition in Parliament.

“…this is why ActionSA has announced that its president and national chairperson step back to allow for a team that will punch above its weight and serve South Africans like a much larger team,” said Beaumont.

He noted that it was similarly resolved that ActionSA would continue to honour its commitment to be an alternative to the ANC.

“As such, ActionSA will not entertain any working relationship with the ANC at any level of government. This is after ActionSA, early last year, conducted an online public participation process with our members, structures and ordinary South Africans that urged us to participate in the MPC and emphatically resolved that we reaffirm our commitment to being an alternative to the ANC,” said ActionSA.

Beaumont explained that ActionSA would remain in the City of Tshwane government in its current configuration, however the party is prepared to vacate that government and be a constructive opposition should the politics of the day return the ANC to the Capital.

Going forward, the party highlighted that it would operate as a constructive opposition in the National Assembly and the three legislatures where it is represented.

“…if sound and ethical proposals are placed before our representatives that serve the South African people, we will support those proposals unreservedly. Similarly, when accountability is required, ActionSA will be the hardest when it comes to holding a government to account when the opposition is conflicted,” he said.

Beaumont noted that ActionSA would enter an era where it would “stand alone, unencumbered by political relationships”, and will focus on the most credible alternatives for South Africans.

“It is important to stress that ActionSA has only begun its process of positioning itself ahead of the local government election in 2026. Notwithstanding the current focus on national and provincial politics, the ActionSA Senate has orientated itself around the fact that most South Africans suffer most greatly because of municipal failures that leave them without water, unreliable electricity and submerged in sewage,” the party said.