The Dialogue is Over – It’s time for Action

5 March 2020

At the end of February, three months of engagement through The People’s Dialogue came to an end, and the hard work of building a new political party will now begin. This will be a party that gives a voice to the voiceless, and builds a real and credible alternative to the ANC. A party aimed at restoring faith in our democracy in the almost 19 million eligible voters who did not vote in 2019.

Over the past three months, The People’s Dialogue has been inundated with South Africans who have engaged us with their views on South Africa and the solutions that are needed to the challenges that confront us a nation.

I am deeply touched by the level of patriotism, good will and belief in a better future that has been evident from the engagements to date.

However, like so many people have indicated, the time for talk must come to an end so that we can build the alternative that can unseat the ANC and deliver the kind of South Africa that has been so passionately spoken about. A South Africa where there is opportunity for all and where the inequalities of our unjust past have been dealt with.

We have already begun the work of analysing the millions of engagements we have had from South Africans of all walks of life and across the political spectrum. All the inputs received will be analysed and presented at an event I will be convening on March 24, 2020, where the voices of these South Africans will be heard.  This is an essential part of our approach, we want to hear from the people of this country and draw on their passion, expertise and good will.

At this event, I will have experts from across various walks of life engaging the feedback from the dialogue in a panel discussion. I will also use this platform to demonstrate how the feedback from South Africans will inform the new political party that is to be established.

It is clear to me from the initial feedback that a large number of South Africans share the values I hold dear and believe that these are the values we need to embrace as a society to fix our country. From the inputs received through The People’s Dialogue we can see that:

South Africans want businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed in a just economy where the private sector is supported by government, but not dominated by it.

South Africans want a non-racial future for their country, but recognise this can only be achieved through a universal recognition of racial inequality, and a concerted government programme aimed at addressing the legacy of our Apartheid-past.

South Africans want the rule of law, effective policing and our corrupt politicians to face justice for stealing from the people. This includes stronger border controls and effective management of illegal immigration.

South Africans are fed with their political system, recognise that it does not serve their interests and want a system where they hold politicians directly accountable and not through political parties.

On the basis of the support received for these values, I am now going to work with the best and most dedicated South Africans to set up the new political party. We will establish a political party around these shared values that will be unlike any to come before it, and that will ensure that it serves the people of South Africa and not itself.

By working with the people of South Africa, we will build the new alternative that will deliver the South Africa that we all believe to be possible.

Issued byHerman Mashaba, Founder, The People’s Dialogue, 5 March 2020