It would be a surprise if Khoza’s new political party makes an impact, says analyst

Outspoken former ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza yesterday launched her new political party, the African Democratic Change, and immediately pledged that their party would set the example through moral and ethical leadership.

Khoza resigned from the ANC and parliament earlier this year after being targeted for speaking out against corruption within the governing party.

Her new party comes on the ticket of national cohesion, ethics, morality and ubuntu and promised to be a home to all South African citizens across race and cultural divides – and to reconnect the government and the people.

The party comprises disgruntled members from the ANC, DA, EFF, Agang-SA and civil society organisations, including the Metsimolo Civic Association in the Free State and former student leaders.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga gave hope to the new kid on the block, saying there was room for a new political party in South Africa. “No party in South Africa focuses on the middle class, for example.

I think there is space to mobilise the black middle class,” Mathekga said.

Another analyst, Steven Friedman, was not convinced, insisting that for a political party to make an impact, it needed to have networks, as the EFF had links in the ANC Youth League branches.

“I doubt very much this party has networks, so I would be surprised if it made an impact,” Friedman said.

Khoza said there was an increasing appetite for a new political party of ethical leaders that occupied the place of the old ANC, before it betrayed itself.

“We want to be a political formation that is founded on the principles of the Freedom Charter and the South African constitution, of one which is nonracial, nonsexist and that aims to unify. “To do this, the political party would need to re-engage with the needs of all South Africans, but particularly those that have been marginalised,” she said.

The party would pursue an inclusive economic model aimed to address inequality. It would fight greed, crass materialism, factionalism and the culture of entitlement that bred corruption.

“We have to stand for what is right. We want to win the elections but we must win through moral and ethical leadership,” Khoza said.

“Unity is a core value that we should not compromise. As an organisation we must always seek to ensure that no matter our differences, we remain united.”

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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