Election debate at Wits
PARKTOWN – As the upcoming elections loom, Wits University hosted an election debate questioning how far the country had come 20 years into democracy.
Agang SA, ANC and DA representatives debated on various issues facing the country and answered questions from audience members. The debate was broadcast live on eNCA and hosted by media veteran Jeremy Maggs.
Agang was represented by party leader Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Dr Wilmot James spoke on behalf of the DA, while the ruling party was represented by Secretary General Gwede Mantashe.
The university’s vice-chancellor and principal, Prof. Adam Habib said the collective gathering enabled critical and robust discourse in society.
Ramphele said the country had not come far enough, which was why someone from her background had “gone back into the trenches, to see how we can build the South Africa of our dreams,” She blamed an “unaccountable and corrupt” government which had “stolen billions that ought to take [the country] forward.”
The DA fiercely opposed corruption, said James. He said they were devoted to serving the people’s cause, “rather than the self-interests of boardroom revolutionaries that circle around President Zuma’s cabinet”.
Mantashe said it was important to understand the history of the country, in order to interpret the journey the ANC had travelled post democracy. He said it was not a journey on a straight line and without problems, and said the ANC had overcome many problems it inherited from the previous government, and new challenges were bound to arise as the journey continued.
The hour-long debate was attended by more than 500 people ahead of the much anticipated 7 May elections, which are expected to be the most closely contested democratic elections in the history of the country.
