South Africa My Home Residents Association (SAHRA) in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga has terminated the membership of its president Oliphant Machate who had taken leave ahead of the municipal elections because of internal political squabbles. It is alleged that Machate told party members that SAHRA was not ready to contest the municipal elections as a new party.
The party managed to secure a seat in the Bushbuckridge Municipality.
The newly-formed political party South Africa My Home Residents Association was formed last year after breaking way from the Bushbuckridge Residents Association.
SAHRA contested for the first time in the local government elections and they won a seat in the Bushbuckridge Municipality. The party embarked on the election journey without their president Oliphant Machate, whose membership they have since terminated after he took leave just before the elections.
Last week Thursday, Machate appeared before the party’s leadership, where this decision was taken. It is alleged that Machate colluded with other political parties to derail SAHRA from its preparations to contest the recent municipal elections.
Machate is also blamed for telling party members not to partake in the recent municipal elections.
The party’s General Secretary Oupa Mokoena says, “We did have the president, which was Mr Machate Oliphant. We have some issues as a party. He decided to stay at home, where he said he will come back after elections. Based on the constitution, we take the deputy president to take over to be the acting president. Mr Machate said to us, as SAHRA, we must not participate in these elections. We must wait for 2024. That one we didn’t take it lighty. We tried to call our veterans to meet him and discuss this issue where he said he wanted to take a break for politics (and) he will come back after elections.”
However, the embattled president says he remains the president of the party, as elected by the conference.
Machate is considering taking legal action.
“I did nothing wrong. If there is something that I did I was supposed to be summoned to the disciplinary hearing. I must be cross questioned in the disciplinary hearing. So, there was no disciplinary hearing. Actually, there is nothing. Mr Sekgobela just told me (he) is not ready to work with me (and that) I must go back home and relax, maybe some other time they will call me again. Actually, they are trying to chase me from my party.”
It remains to be seen whether the political party will sustain its existence as it started on a bad note.
Meanwhile, the Deputy President David Ngomane is leading the party.
