South Africa’s opposition party ActionSA has announced Michelle Wasserman, a former member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), as its Western Cape leader. The announcement was made following the death of Vytjie Mentor.
A lawyer, Wasserman announced her resignation from the DA earlier this year. Her departure had elicited mixed reactions at the time, with some irreverent tweeps describing it as political prostitution — moving from one party to another instead of sticking it out with one party to the end.
Anyway, ActionSA has made its decision, and Wasserman is cool with it. She joins a growing list of politicians disillusioned with the DA, viewed as the principal opposition party in South Africa, and now seeking political life elsewhere.
Whether by design or coincidence, Wasserman, who holds a master’s degree in human rights law and joined the ActionSA in June, already has plans for her new political home.
According to her, she would focus on economic transparency and social justice, which she noted are the values of the ActionSA. She indicated that she would focus on the poor and the vulnerable to ensure they are taken care of.
With the programs she has on the ground, she is optimistic about her party making significant inroads in the Western Cape.
