Mashaba Welcomes DA Joburg Regional Chair and former CEO
2 March 2020
Today I am pleased to announce that The People’s Dialogue has received two skilled, experienced and great South Africans into our ranks.
DA Johannesburg Regional Chairperson and Caucus Leader, Funzi Ngobeni, has opted to resign and join our efforts to build a new political alternative in South Africa. He will be leading our essential campaign to develop wall-to-wall structures on the ground in the communities, that will carry our offer to the front doors of South Africans.
In my time as Mayor of Johannesburg, Funzi served as the MMC for Finance and Leader of Executive Business. He proved himself as a strong and skilled leader, committed to doing what was right for the people of Johannesburg.
Before entering politics in 2011, unlike many career politicians, Funzi worked in the private sector and brings this experience and perspective into the work of growing our economy and creating jobs.
This is what I mean when I say that politicians who join us will have to pass through the eye of the proverbial needle and prove they can be servants of the people and not servants of the party.
I am also very pleased to announce that The People’s Dialogue is working closely with the former DA CEO, Paul Boughey. Paul brings immense strategic experience to the work of establishing the new political party.
Both of these individuals are deeply committed to the project of building a new political alternative that places the people of South Africa at the centre of its work. They share my dedication to building a non-racial future for South Africa, through an absolute commitment to redress the legacy of our unjust past. Critically, they are devoted to building a new alternative that can actually unseat the ANC and improve the lives of the people of South Africa.
We will not follow the pattern of political parties holding press conferences to announce these moves, and rubbish the parties from which our new recruits come. South Africans know what is wrong with our current political system, this is why they 18.6 million voting aged people did not vote. We will focus on solutions and how we are building the new alterative.
In the coming days and weeks, we will be announcing other talented and skilled South Africans who will be joining the effort to establish the new political party. They come from across the political spectrum, and all transcend the kind of party-political self-interest that has caused our political system to fail in its responsibility to serve the people of South Africa.
These developments, and the overwhelming response to the dialogue over the past 3 months, are evidence that the new political party to be launched later this year, will be a force capable of unseating the ANC and not satisfied with the role of opposition.
Our people need change in South Africa, and this can only happen when dedicated South Africans come together and build a strong alternative.
Issued by Herman Mashaba, Founder, The People’s Dialogue, 2 March 2020
