The party created by former Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba, The People’s Dialogue, has corruption-busting at the top of its agenda. After resigning from the Democratic Alliance (DA) and as Mayor of Johannesburg, Mashaba launched The People’s Dialogue in December 2019. He says the goal is to “engage” South Africans in a conversation about the future of our country. In Mashaba’s words: “The People’s Dialogue was launched as a platform to engage South Africans from all walks of life about how we can build a South Africa that we can all be proud of”. He plans to take on ANC leaders when his party launches in August 2020.
Mashaba is an independent politician and successful South African entrepreneur. He is famous for his inspirational life story: growing up in South Africa, struggling against poverty and the apartheid government to open Black Like Me way back in the 1980s. He grew this into the biggest hair brand in South Africa, making him a millionaire against incredible odds. In late 2019, Mashaba broke away from the DA and his role as Johannesburg’s mayor. After 3 years as the “accidental” mayor of South African’s economic hub, he fully understands just how broken the South African political system is. And with his People’s Dialogue party, he has the right platform to fix it, and hopefully to fix South Africa.
In an open letter to South Africa, Mashaba said: “I write to you now to suggest that there is an alternative, one which promises not just hope but the action necessary to do what is required to fix our country. I didn’t make my money through political connections. I made it by doing what you have done – creating businesses, nurturing them and growing them in spite of government.”
“We are going to tackle the difficult issues of unions, labour laws, state-owned entities, the professionalisation of the public service, necessary support for small businesses, declaring corruption public enemy number one and the return of the rule of law. It is only through the unapologetic and decisive support of business that we will grow an economy that creates jobs for South Africans.”
‘It is going to be difficult; it is going to be a hard pill for some to swallow. There will be some who will oppose these measures vigorously because they threaten the fabric of patronage on which they survive, but they will be necessary.”
“We will build a movement that will do what no other party can do in South Africa – that is to successfully challenge for national power and unseat the ANC in 2024.”
With most politicians, these would just be empty words to get votes. But if there is one person who can be trusted to hit corruption head-on and get South Africa back on track, it is Herman Mashaba. Get the full story at the links below.
References:
- https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2020-07-02-mashabas-peoples-dialogue-is-mapping-out-a-way-towards-effective-corruption-busting/
- https://www.biznews.com/thought-leaders/2020/07/20/herman-mashaba-letter-ramaphosa
- https://za.opera.news/za/en/entertainment/923006d75d7ee210af561672244885bc
- https://www.goodthingsguy.com/opinion/from-the-desk-of-herman-mashaba-fix-south-africa/