RISE Mzansi announced on Wednesday that prominent human rights and social justice activist Mark Heywood has joined the RISE Mzansi national campaign team and will help to refine the party’s policies.

Heywood initially joined Roger Jardine to form Change Starts Now, which will no longer contest the upcoming elections, for which it blames the Constitutional Court's recent ruling and the barriers it imposes.

The Independent Electoral Commission’s rules for new parties, relating to the amount of signatures required for them to contest the elections, was recently under scrutiny in the Constitutional Court, however, the court chose not to hear the issue citing a disruption in preparations for the May elections.

RISE Mzansi national chairperson Vuyiswa Ramokgopa said Heywood had volunteered his time to work with the organisation ahead of the May 29 national and provincial elections, and beyond.

Heywood will work with RISE Mzansi on its policy offering, help to continue building the movement, work with civil society and help organise in communities across the country.

Ramokgopa said Heywood would bring with him six highly skilled individuals who will assist the national campaign team in the key performance areas of marketing, communication, organising, mobilising, political programmes as well as research.

“With just nine weeks until millions of South Africans cast their votes for new leaders at the more than 23 000 voting stations, our enhanced national campaign team is critical to ensuring that RISE Mzansi is able to reach more communities through community meetings, door-to-door, and the media,” she said.

She added that “RISE Mzansi’s door remains open to all patriots who align with the constitutional and social democratic values of freedom, equality, integrity, solidarity and justice”.