South Africa. Sounds just like Zimbabwe.
Mamphela Ramphele, anti-apartheid activist, businesswoman and academic has launched a new political party platform, Agang, in South Africa.
In her speech delivered yesterday she said:
“Today I announce that I am working with a group of fellow citizens to form a party political platform that will focus on rekindling hope that building the country of our dreams is possible in our lifetime. Our consultations and conversations across the lengths and breadths of our country have confirmed a hunger for a new beginning. Young and old, poor and rich, men and women, urban and rural people are yearning for a political platform that can put our country first. A platform that will be open to all South Africans of good will who want to build the country of our dreams. This will be a platform that will capture the best in us and enable us to transcend our divided past and work together as a society united in our diversity. It is a platform that will seek to work with others to reduce the fragmentation in the political landscape and to realign politics towards a focus on putting the country first. We launch this initiative under the name Agang, or in the Nguni languages of our country, Akhani, which can be interpreted in English as “Build South Africa”.
The ANC have criticized the new party saying it brings nothing new to the table as it rehashes the challenges South Africa is currently facing. The ANC secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, is quoted on SABC news saying ‘the newly-launched party political platform might be an American initiative aimed at channelling money to destabilise the South African government.’
New hope for South Africa?