IEC
Former Ekurhuleni MMC and ex-ActionSA member Tlhogi Moseki has launched a new political party called Azanian Ground Forces to represent workers and marginalised groups. Moseki said the party will also focus on immigration issues and plans to challenge the Department of Home Affairs over documentation.
Former MMC for Public Safety in Ekurhuleni and former ActionSA member Tlhogi Moseki has launched a new political party called Azanian Ground Forces (AGF). He described the movement as a voice for marginalised groups such as security guards and cleaners.
Moseki said it was not an easy decision to start the party but one that became necessary after differences with his former political leaders. “We were not agreeing with my previous political principal and I had to leave. If you have got a flock without a shepherd that is when I left and decided to start a political party. I tried to get back at my former party, but they closed that door. I tried reconciling, but they told me they would call me back,” he said.
Moseki said the former leaders brought in former Midvaal mayor Bongani Baloyi, now a member of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, as provincial chairperson. He said as a regional caucus leader, he had to follow Baloyi’s lead but tensions soon developed.
“Something happened, the guy did not see from the same angle with the leadership, they fought. In the process we were then entangled in something we could not avoid. The guy approached and told me there were people preparing to assault me. He told me that in the list I was second in the hit list. That came as a shocker. I asked what I had done,” Moseki said.
He said he did not leave ActionSA deliberately but because of what he called internal lies and divisions. “Baloyi and I left the same day. He reliably informed me that our names were in a hit list,” Moseki said.
Moseki said Azanian Ground Forces (AGF) is not just another new political formation but a party formed to fight for better living conditions for all who reside in South Africa. The AGF was officially launched at Huntersfield Stadium in Katlehong on 30 August 2025.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), there has been a sharp increase in the number of political parties registered in South Africa. IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said 34 new parties have registered since the 2024 general elections, bringing the total number to 472 nationally and provincially.
When asked how AGF will differ from other political parties and why people should trust him, Moseki said the idea came from ordinary people he had helped during his time as an MMC in Ekurhuleni and as an ActionSA member.
“Those include people who were security guards, cleaners and a group of people who are of Lesotho origin but reside in South Africa. They used to come to me as an MMC and part of my task was to engage in operations, and we were very big on immigration,” he said.
He said his open-door policy made it easy for people to approach him for help. The appeal from the Lesotho nationals residing in South Africa said they live and have families in the country and have tried everything to get Home Affairs to assist them to get documents. They were clear that they wanted their fingerprints taken and be accepted in the country legally,” said Moseki.
When asked why Lesotho nationals wanted South African identification documents, Moseki said he discovered that many had been in the country for years without proper documentation. He said he personally interviewed some of them to understand their situation.
Moseki said the AGF has been engaging on immigration matters and emphasised that these are not people who entered the country recently. He said they want to comply with South African laws and that he will approach Home Affairs for assistance.
He said the party is preparing to take legal action against the Department of Home Affairs. “Home Affairs has not been coming to the party. As things stand, we are preparing a letter that we will send to the Home Affairs Minister to intervene, failing which we will take Home Affairs to court,” said Moseki.
Moseki said his party will address the needs of people who have been in South Africa for many years and whose families are established in the country.
When asked about allegations that some Lesotho nationals are involved in illegal mining, Moseki said not all are criminals. “Those who are here sincerely and genuinely will come to the fore. Those who do not come forward are the ones who are criminals and they must be dealt with. The Lesotho nationals must not be painted with the same brush, especially in the zama zama space. The department must collect fingerprints of everyone and those who do not will be on the run,” said Moseki.
He said the Azanian Ground Forces is not a Basotho party but a national movement open to all South Africans. Moseki said the party will contest elections across the country and that he will be meeting ground forces in Kriel, Mpumalanga, on Saturday.
