By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former ActionSA member Abel Tau has announced the formation of his new political party – United Africans Transformation (UAT).
Addressing the media in Lethabong, Tshwane on Tuesday morning,Tau said the UAT already has support from various sectors of society.
“When I was called and conversations were happening with some of these men and women who are envisaging a new political vehicle, I got interested and felt I can play an active role.”
“I am humbled they gave me an opportunity to lead this vehicle, we are establishing the mechanics and we will be launching soon and we are obviously registered with the IEC, He said.”
Tau was a member of the mayoral committee for human settlement in a DA-led multi-party government at the time his membership with ActionSA was terminated.
He said he would file papers at the Gauteng High Court to challenge the constitutionality of the termination of his membership.
Tau has maintained that he is innocent, saying that the termination of his membership was politically motivated.
Tau described the party’s actions as grossly unfair, unconstitutional, unlawful, unjustifiable and unsustainable.
“I have not been found guilty by any court of law, nor even the disciplinary panel in regard to any of these.
“I do rather feel that I was the victim of an orchestrated plot in order to cause a scandal with certain political objectives as I also stated in the hearing,” he said.
Previously, he questioned the party’s decision to expel him even though he had not been found guilty internally of attempted sexual assault and even though the chairperson of the disciplinary panel had not recommended the termination of his membership.
Tau said all he wants is to clear his name and move on with his career.
He said he took the appeal to the high court because part of the verdict in the ActionSA judgment clearly stated that there shall be no appeal processes other than to the High Court of South Africa.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said that by Monday, Tau had not filed any court papers.
“If that situation has changed, we welcome his right to go to court as these are legal rights entitled to all South Africans,” he added.
He also said, for what it’s worth, Tau would be deeply disappointed by the legal outcome because the situation of this country is that when leaders abuse their positions of authority in their personal or romantic lives, that is deeply irresponsible, and when he joined ActionSA, he joined an organisation whose values do not agree with the actions he is accused of having perpetrated.