Tau cuts ties with IPHC factional leader Sandlana
|Published
Abel Tau announces his new political party, United Africans Transformation. l OUPA MOKOENA/AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA)
Johannesburg - Former DA member and United African Transformations (UAT) founder Abel Tau has distanced himself from his party’s controversial association with the International Pentecost Holiness Church Jerusalem faction, led by Michael Sandlana.
This week, hundreds of members of the party clad in their party T-shirts demonstrated outside the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in solidarity with Sandlana.
He is embroiled in a fraud and corruption case against his estranged wife, Magalane Benedicta Sandlana, which is currently being heard at the court.
Members of the party, mostly affiliated with the church, chanted slogans while carrying placards reading, "Hands off Abel Tau" and "Tau is not to be played with", while Sandlana appeared briefly in court.
Sandlana’s estranged wife opened a case of fraud and corruption against him in April of this year.
Magalane accuses her husband of changing the ownership details of her Mercedes-Benz C-Class W205, which was previously registered in her name, without her knowledge or consent.
Speaking to The Star yesterday, Tau cleared the air on how this controversial association has prompted him to form a new political party called The Transformation Alliance (TTA) as a way to formally cut ties with his previous allies and UAT, which is closely linked with Sandlana.
TTA was launched last week at an event and media briefing held in Arcadia, Pretoria. Tau said relationship with the church had made things difficult for him and his political beliefs to thrive following complaints from various sections of society.
"I was approached by people who no longer felt comfortable with the name and how its association with a specific one religious grouping when I am a leader who has strived to be inclusive and unite people beyond racial and religious lines," Tau said of the new direction he has taken.
When asked about the army of Sandlana supporters clad in UAT T-shirts, Tau said he is not perturbed by those seen wearing the shirts during Sandlana’s court appearances as this is beyond his control.
"You would have noted that at the inception of the party they supported me, and so you would know the court case involves some of the leaders. However, since then, I have been very clear that we are now moving in a certain direction and away from the association with a certain church.
“Unfortunately, there will be people who will want to exploit the situation, as they know that some of the members of the church are old. So I am not perturbed that they were wearing party T-shirts. I also understand that the party bought these T-shirts, and people continue to wear them," Tau said.
"It became important for us to now separate ourselves from the church; hence, we have now revamped our identity with the launch of TTA. So there really is no shadow of a doubt that TTA has nothing to do with one church or another church, as we are a political party that is standing alone and uniting the nation.
“Being associated with a particular church or group is not the kind of politics that I want to be associated with; hence the relaunch of TTA," he said.
He added that as someone who has spent his life in political activism, he has always wanted to unite the country and serve as an inclusive and not a divisive leader, which made him rethink his relationship with one part of a church or religious grouping.
"All my life as a politician, I have always advocated for politics that seeks to unite people beyond our ethnic and racial differences. We need to learn from one another. South Africa will not develop if we have black people rising against white people and coloured people rising against black people.
“The country will only be built when black, white, coloured, and all races come together behind one identity," he said.
The Star