This Movement has overcome many hurdles since its inception early 2018.

1. The party was rejected when it tried to register as African Transformation Congress (ATC). It was said there are too many parties that start with African and end with Congress, e.g ANC, APC, AIC etc.

2. However as we are a Movement of the people, by the people for the people, the word "Movement" was chosen to replace "Congress" and in fact it was more befitting to who we are.

3. Sunday Times, labouring under their hatred for former President Zuma and everything associated with him published an article on the 7th of April saying we are a Zuma party.

4. All media houses were duped into believing we are such, no right of reply was ever afforded to us. Not a single evidence backing these claims was ever produced, not a photo, meeting minutes, voice note, NOTHING. The plan based on Sunday Times thinking that former President Zuma is a persona non-grata in the country was to stigmatize ATM so that the public rejects ATM. Instead the public saw right-through such machinations and joined ATM in numbers.

5. ATM was then punished with a media blackout.

6. We launched the party in 8 consecutive weekends and 8 different locations from 29 September 2018 to 30 Nov 2018. Media decided to ignore such a Movement.

7. When we tabled our Manifesto, an important statement on what the party is offering to citizens of the country, not even the state broadcaster was there thus denying the public an opportunity to be well informed of their political choices leading to the May 8 polls.

8. When Servant Mzwanele Manyi joined us in January, even though it was evident he was joining an already established party. They created a perception that this party belongs to Manyi hence the headlines Manyi’s ATM. Again this is another failed attempt by stratcom inspired media to import all the fake news and unsubstantiated allegations of wrong doing by Manyi, purely based on his Vendor Financed deal with the Guptas.

 

Issued by The African Transformation Movement