The four big things Herman Mashaba says his new party will focus on

In a statement on Thursday, The People’s Dialogue founder and former mayor of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba said “the dialogue” was over and it was “time for action”.

He said his party had reached the end of three months of engagement “and the hard work of building a new political party will now begin”, especially by targeting an estimated 19 million eligible voters who had stayed away from the ballot boxes in 2019.

He said he wants to build a credible alternative to the ANC and was “deeply touched by the level of patriotism, goodwill and belief in a better future that has been evident from the engagements to date”.

“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, 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 goodwill.”

He said initial feedback suggested to him that a large number of South Africans shared his values and he he could see from the input received that four major issues would top his party’s agenda.

• “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.”

He undertook to “work with the best and most dedicated South Africans to set up the new political party”.

(Edited by Charles Cilliers)

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