Enough public mandate for alternative political party – Mashaba
ALEXANDRA –Public trust deficiency enough for an alternative political party formation
The objective of the founding fathers of the nation’s freedom and democracy can’t be entrusted with their current successors who reward each other for rendering the country dysfunctional.
This is according to Herman Mashaba, former Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg and leader of the People’s Dialogue, a movement he said was on the verge of converting to a political party.
Speaking exclusively to Alex News, Mashaba said the movement’s engagements with the public have elicited more than 10 million comments. “Over a million of them overwhelmingly urged for the formation of a political party that will contest the 2021 local government elections in Gauteng’s major metros,” he said. “It’s clear, citizens want an alternative they can trust to curb the disaster and stop the country from collapsing like some of its neighbours whose liberation movements did exactly that after usurping power of self-determination from the citizens.”
Mashaba added that research had indicated that the ruling ANC’s popularity had waned to below 50 per cent in the province’s major metros and would further drop by 10 per cent heading into the 2021 local government elections which could be the first inroads for alternative local governance. “We will build on that heading to the 2024 national elections.”
He said the comments which continued to swell would be consolidated into a final report which will be published at the end of March followed by the formation of the political party in June.
The party’s mandate will be premised on:
- Non-racial society
- Free market driven economy
- Social justice that will dismantle more than 300 years of oppressive apartheid and 25 years of misrule
- Rule of law that will secure the country and its citizens
- Ending corruption which traumatises citizens through blatant looting of public resources.
“These values relate with part of the 19 million apathetic citizens who, without a political home to trust, abstained from voting with the 17 million who split their votes among several political parties at the last general elections.” He said his new party would ensure citizens’ constitutionally enshrined rights were promoted and protected by representatives of their own choice who would be accountable to them rather than a political party.
Mashaba castigated the current national, provincial and local leaders and bureaucrats who he claimed were ‘recycled criminals’ with corruption cases hanging over their heads, yet they were still in public office. “Over 6 000 cases of corruption worth R35 billion in the City of Joburg were handed over to the National Prosecution Agency for prosecution but have either been withdrawn or are still pending despite overwhelming documented evidence.”
He said these kinds of leaders were answerable to a criminal syndicate and ideology of graft. “Supporters of a new political party will want to replace them with trustworthy and accountable individuals who will provide practical solutions for the country and its citizens.”
Among the solutions to the country’s problems, Mashaba said were securing the borders to keep away elements with criminal intent, reviving pride in state-owned enterprises, curbing inflation and debt ratio, and growing the economy.
“The current trends show a country in imminent collapse, as a global capital of corruption where those implicated aren’t prosecuted but rewarded.” He questioned the credentials of most post-Mandela era leaders, claiming that some of them sought positions of power for protection against crimes they had committed.
The ex-mayor attributed the high unemployment among the youth to these leaders’ self interest and not that of the citizens. “Much can’t be expected from them on sound economic policies and more should be anticipated from them in crumbling the education sector. This is done to perpetuate ignorance, poverty and dependency of the black poor population and others in the margins on the welfare system,” he claimed.
He added that the ruling elite was averse to ‘clever and urbanised blacks’ who were a sizable voter base who can’t be ‘bought’ with food handouts, T-shirts and other freebies.
“They [voters] only desire ethical and moral leadership we aim to offer.”
