A NEWLY formed civil society organisation, Awethu, plans to place South Africa’s political system on trial, starting with the coming general elections by discussing with community members whether they should vote strategically, abstain from voting or spoil their ballots.
The organisation is targeting April 27 or around that date for mass action ahead of the May 7 polls. The protests might take the form of human chains, marches and occupation of government offices to present the "people’s demands".
Awethu is a confluence of about 70 nongovernmental organisations and individuals, which include Section27’s Mark Heywood, Equal Education, Right2Know and Jay Naidoo. While its leaders said it was not a political party, they admitted that its agenda was political.
Oxfam has pledged R500,000 to Awethu so far.
"We don’t want to overthrow the government but we want to make sure the system is responsive to people’s needs," said Mr Heywood, who is a member of the Awethu steering committee.
The organisation stands for social justice and believes the Marikana tragedy marked a "rupture" in South African politics.
"Unchallenged control" seems to be slipping out of the hands of the African National Congress (ANC) leadership, it said, and there is a possibility that after the elections, the "game would change", possibly leading to a more oppressive state as the party tries to reassert control.
There is also widespread speculation that suspended general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Zwelinzima Vavi and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) are also on board, though the union has denied it.
According to insiders, meetings were held with Numsa, but it was not on board yet.
Cosatu announced on Thursday that it would give Numsa a further seven days to explain why it should not be expelled or suspended from the federation due to its resolution not to campaign for the ANC in the upcoming polls.
Awethu, launched in November last year, was built on the premise that democracy in South Africa had failed to change the lives of the poor majority. However, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday most of the organisations involved were led by those who were the product of the successes of the ANC-led government.
Minutes of a strategic meeting held by Awethu late last month indicate it is currently canvassing communities on what they believe the best approach to the elections should be. The options under discussion include whether people should vote strategically, abstain from voting or spoil their ballots.
"We want to put the political system on trial," Mr Heywood said. He stressed, however, that the organisation was not a front for a new political party.
A meeting of Awethu’s steering committee last month sketched the political context and described a range of issues in which South Africa had reached "breaking point".
Methodist Bishop Paul Verryn, who is also tied to the initiative, described it as a "place of hope" and added that once it got off the ground and "scratched where it itches", it would make a difference in challenging the issues facing the country.
• This article was amended on February 28 2014 to emphasise that Awethu has not decided on a specific course of action, and that all options are still being discussed.
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and Section27’s Mark Heywood in October 2010. Picture: MARTIN RHODES
A NEWLY formed civil society organisation, Awethu, plans to place South Africa’s political system on trial, starting with the coming general elections by discussing with community members whether they should vote strategically, abstain from voting or spoil their ballots.
The organisation is targeting April 27 or around that date for mass action ahead of the May 7 polls. The protests might take the form of human chains, marches and occupation of government offices to present the "people’s demands".
Awethu is a confluence of about 70 nongovernmental organisations and individuals, which include Section27’s Mark Heywood, Equal Education, Right2Know and Jay Naidoo. While its leaders said it was not a political party, they admitted that its agenda was political.
Oxfam has pledged R500,000 to Awethu so far.
"We don’t want to overthrow the government but we want to make sure the system is responsive to people’s needs," said Mr Heywood, who is a member of the Awethu steering committee.
The organisation stands for social justice and believes the Marikana tragedy marked a "rupture" in South African politics.
"Unchallenged control" seems to be slipping out of the hands of the African National Congress (ANC) leadership, it said, and there is a possibility that after the elections, the "game would change", possibly leading to a more oppressive state as the party tries to reassert control.
There is also widespread speculation that suspended general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Zwelinzima Vavi and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) are also on board, though the union has denied it.
According to insiders, meetings were held with Numsa, but it was not on board yet.
Cosatu announced on Thursday that it would give Numsa a further seven days to explain why it should not be expelled or suspended from the federation due to its resolution not to campaign for the ANC in the upcoming polls.
Awethu, launched in November last year, was built on the premise that democracy in South Africa had failed to change the lives of the poor majority. However, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday most of the organisations involved were led by those who were the product of the successes of the ANC-led government.
Minutes of a strategic meeting held by Awethu late last month indicate it is currently canvassing communities on what they believe the best approach to the elections should be. The options under discussion include whether people should vote strategically, abstain from voting or spoil their ballots.
"We want to put the political system on trial," Mr Heywood said. He stressed, however, that the organisation was not a front for a new political party.
A meeting of Awethu’s steering committee last month sketched the political context and described a range of issues in which South Africa had reached "breaking point".
Methodist Bishop Paul Verryn, who is also tied to the initiative, described it as a "place of hope" and added that once it got off the ground and "scratched where it itches", it would make a difference in challenging the issues facing the country.
• This article was amended on February 28 2014 to emphasise that Awethu has not decided on a specific course of action, and that all options are still being discussed.
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