Athol Trollip on return to politics with Mashaba's party: 'I want to see democratic political change'

“I had this burning political fire in my belly.”

So says ActionSA's latest recruit Athol Trollip about his decision to return to politics with Herman Mashaba's party.

Trollip was officially welcomed this week as the latest DA member to join ActionSA. He will be the party’s Eastern Cape leader.

The former DA federal chairperson left the official opposition in 2019. Since his resignation, Trollip has kept a low profile.

Speaking to 702, Trollip said he decided to return to politics after receiving a call from Mashaba telling him they “need to change SA”.

“I had this nagging political fire burning in my belly which made me ask myself whether I had done enough. When Herman Mashaba called and said 'Athol, we need to change SA', I accepted the offer because I want to see democratic political change in my lifetime.”

He said ActionSA is that vehicle for change.

“I believe ActionSA can bring about change and come into power in 2024. I was part of an initiative in Nelson Mandela Bay and we did bring about change. The ANC is vulnerable in the Eastern Cape, but it's still one of the provinces that is probably the most entrenched.”

Earlier this week, former DA MP Phumzile Van Damme described Trollip as “a political machine” and said him joining ActionSA is a “major victory” for the party.

Van Damme said ActionSA has been able to do what the DA tried and then stopped — appealing to voters of all races.

“Now this I did not expect at all. This is a major victory for ActionSA. Athol is a political machine.

“If ActionSA keeps collecting this deck of cards of political heavyweights 2024 is in play.”

She slammed a social media user who said Trollip was “flip-flopping” for leaving the DA.

“The beauty of democracy is that you can choose. You can change your mind any time you please. You're not tied to any political party for life. This is why the ANC remains in power — people who think leaving is 'flip-flopping'. This mentality is destroying SA.

“If you constantly campaign on the premise of convincing people to leave who they vote for and leave their parties, you should understand that that also applies to people within. Must you stick around even when you no longer agree and essentially lie to voters? That is treachery.”