Submitted by Farouk Cassim
The age of simple ideology is past. The world is much too integrated and much too complex for that. South African society, likewise, is much too diverse and much too unequal for any single ideology to suffice. A new party needs to form that will embrace eco-ethical, intergenerational, gender equal, transformative, techno-social democracy. This is a mouthful but then the beast we are talking about is not bite size.
The world is fast approaching the moment of critical mass in respect of climate change. Therefore ecology and sustainability have to override and not be overridden by all other considerations. The window of opportunity is small and closing.
The next issue is that of ethics and values. A non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa requires ethics and values to obtain throughout the system without any exception or relaxation. Only if pre-eminence is given to ethics and values, will South Africa experience a turn around and be safe and prosperous.
The creation of structures that accommodate intergenerational participation and involvement is of critical importance. Just as gender parity must prevail, so too must intergenerational accommodation occur in a visible manner.
The need for transformation must not only address material issues but alienation and attitudes as well. This is one country, with one people, with one destiny. Core values and not skin colour should unite and bind the people together.
The society that must emerge should have thorough education; and technology should be harnessed extensively so that people in the service of the nation work smarter not harder, where people not records take up the time, and where information technology reaches into each town and each rural village.
The South African Democratic Congress is the people’s congress and we can either choose to have five more years of what we had for fifteen years or work for change from this instance forward. For every South African, the platform is now in place to build a non-racial, non-sexist, and prosperous South Africa. Everyone has equal power, equal say and an equal opportunity.
