The Gathering: Election Edition, hosted by the Daily Maverick, was a key conversation for South African voters – it is important for the voting public to see what political parties stand for, and how they defend their policies and implement strategies in the face of open, candid, intellectual scrutiny.
It was held on 10 April 2014 at Gold Reef City, and saw a number of well-known politicians, social justice activists, trade unionists and journalists debate the state of South African politics ahead of May’s elections.
The conference discussions were split into topics, each with panels and moderators. Discussions ended with a video address by the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela.
It was no surprise that Flow client Nando’s was a sponsor of the conference – Nando’s is not slow in commenting on current affairs, and it has been great to see it using its brand muscle to contribute to political debate in this country
On registering at the conference, I was met with the friendly smiles of my colleagues at Flow PR, who were handing out the press release for the event (click here to read the press release). Flow PR did a great job on the day and in the run-up to the event: on behalf of Nando’s, Flow PR invited VIP guests to the conference, developed the media release, dealt with media requests for interviews, and generally assisted with the smooth running of the event.
MCs for the day were John Vlismas and Tumi Morake – a perfect choice of comedians for political topics.
The first session focused on the elections. The panellists for this session were Malusi Gigaba, minister of public enterprises and a member of the ANC; Mamphela Ramphele, leader of political party AgangSA; Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu); and Helen Zille, leader of the Democratic Alliance.
The moderators were Richard Poplak, author and journalist; Justice Malala, journalist and political commentator; and Ranjeni Munusamy, writer and associate editor of the Daily Maverick.
The session began with an address by political commentator and journalist Max du Preez.
I gained so much from this session – more than I can share in this blog.
Some of my key takeaways were:
- “[Are] our stability [and] democratic culture more under threat in 2014 than they were in 1994?” – Max du Preez
- “Unless people understand that their president serves them (and not the other way round) we cannot succeed in building a democracy.” – Helen Zille
- “This election, in our view, is about development, and the next election will be as well.” – Malusi Gigaba
- “Get up and stand up for what you know is right.” – Mamphela Ramphele
- “[I asked myself] how does one stand aside when so much wrong is happening in the name of democracy? No. You must stand and fight, and fight again.” – Mamphela Ramphele
After lunch, a social justice panel session began with an address by filmmaker Rehad Desai, who described the events leading up to the Marikana tragedy. He argued that “the only options we have as democrats and as people with a conscience is to build our independent voice”.
He highlighted the “abject poverty” most South Africans face, and that “we are now the most unequal nation and that is what is at the centre of the rage [that’s leading to so many strikes]”.
He said he was in favour of voters spoiling their votes, or “voting tactically to give our ruling party the bloody nose it deserves after Marikana”.
Panel discussion moderator Sisonke Msimang’s address followed. Msimang is a social justice activist and writes about race, politics, gender and other social issues. On the panel were Vuyiseka Dubula, human rights activist and manager of the Policy Development and Advocacy Unit at Sonke Gender Justice; Fatima Hassan, human rights activist, lawyer and CEO of the Open Society Foundation South Africa; and David Lewis, executive director of Corruption Watch.
What stood out the most for me during this session was Msimang’s ability to be candid about her political feelings and the compassion with which she articulated them – she unapologetically stated her views while not attempting to impose them on anyone. “I am not a politician; all I have is my own thoughts,” she said.
I really enjoyed her perspective on how the international community cites South Africa as an exception because there was no war during our transition from apartheid to democracy.
She said we have become “starstruck by [our] own leaders and captured by [our] own exceptionalism”. Quoting a man whose wife was on the fateful Malaysia Airlines flight, she said: “We are neither favoured nor deserted; we are just a nation and we have to keep working.”
The final session focused on the economy, with Iraj Abedian, CEO of Pan-African Capital Holdings; Irvin Jim, general secretary of Numsa; and Jay Naidoo, chair of the board of directors of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, as panellists. Political commentator and former US diplomat J Brooks Spector, Prince Mashele, writer and political commentator, and well-known journalist Jeremy Maggs were moderators (or, to quote Morake, “interrogators”).
I enjoyed Abedian’s perspective on the importance of economic progress – how it is achieved, and how, without financial capital, human capital and social capital there can be no sustainability.
He also spoke about the importance of a moral value system for South Africa – non-religious, but one that represents our fundamental beliefs as South Africans and one for which we can hold our political leaders accountable. The need for citizens to hold their government accountable was a common theme carried through all the sessions.
One of the best quotes from this session came from Naidoo, who reminded us, “I speak what I want, so get used to it.” He asked, “If we can deliver world-class soccer stadiums, why can’t we put toilets in [our schools]?” He also observed how the government has deserted the public system by not making use of public services.
Most panellists acquitted themselves well and the election session clarified what AgangSA, the DA and Cosatu stand for, rather than what they think is wrong with the ANC government.
This conference also reminded me that our political landscape has created the space for fantastic female leaders to emerge, and they have taken up the challenge and stood their ground.
The conference improved my ability to engage in political discourse about South Africa, and has inspired an even greater need in me to really grapple with the policies that we, as voters (especially young voters), are being presented with. Also, as Gigaba said, “This election is about a concerted effort to develop our society” – as we head to elections it is often helpful to be reminded that part of why we vote is to help develop what has been built in our country.
I have always argued that as long as we can vote, we must vote: it is one of our hard-won freedoms and one of the ways in which we can make our voices heard and continue South Africa’s development.
In the words of Msimang: “Vote as if your life depends on it.”
The Twitter conversation, which was trending during the conference, can be found at #DMGathering.