EFF Marks Mandela Day (18.07.2018)

South Africa: Time to account for crippling the state (01.11.2016)

South African citizens across the land are speaking out and taking action to express their dissatisfaction. The Nelson Mandela Foundation supports the demand to hold to account those responsible for compromising our democratic state and looting its resources.

Twenty years since Nelson Mandela signed South Africa’s Constitution into law and as the third anniversary of his passing approaches, it is painful for us at the Nelson Mandela Foundation to bear witness to the wheels coming off the vehicle of our state.

We have seen a weakening of critical institutions such as the South African Revenue Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and law enforcement bodies due to political meddling for private interests.

We are reaping the results of a political trend of personalising matters of state around a single individual leader. This in a constitutional democracy is to be deplored.

The ability and commitment of the Head of State to be a ‘constitutional being’, is one of the wheels of our state. The unanimous judgment of the Constitutional Court of the Republic in the matter of President Zuma and the use of state resources on a private residence was one such test. It is increasingly a national consensus that he has failed the test.

As this particular wheel rolls away, other critical institutions of state break off to follow it. The legislative, business, and public service sectors of the country are severely affected, compromising the ability of the state to serve the people. A battle now rages to keep SARS attached to the vehicle of state. What public discourse has described as ‘state capture’ by private and political interests is, we believe, a real threat to the Republic.

Another wheel is an accessible and well-functioning education system. Arguably this wheel has never been fully attached, but the failures of the last two decades threaten that it rolls away. Schools, in our view, particularly those in townships and rural areas, have largely been captured to political interests and have deteriorated to unimaginable levels. And now universities are being brought to their knees as they lurch from crisis to crisis while a semblance of normality is enforced under what are effectively states of emergency. This is not sustainable for any education system. The potential collapse of universities will damage our democracy to its core.

We call on the governing party to take the steps necessary to ensure that the vehicle of state be protected and placed in safe and capable hands. And we join the call for a national convention of stakeholders to begin to reimagine South Africa’s future beyond the unsustainable stresses of the moment.

Written Press Statement by the Nelson Mandela Foundation

Press Statement: Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela MP – Formal Complaints laid with IEC and Asas over DA abuse of Madiba (08.07.2016)

8 JULY 2016

Press statement from Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela MP

FORMAL COMPLAINTS LAID WITH IEC AND ASASA OVERDA ABUSE OF MADIBA

The Independent Electoral Commission and the AdvertisingStandards Authority of South Africa have been formally requestedto stop the Democratic Alliance from continuing to broadcast an election advertisement that seeks to hoodwink voters intobelieving that, were he alive today, the former President uTata Nelson Mandela would have considered voting for the DA.There is ample evidence that Madiba would never havesupported the DA. He was a lifelong member and leader of the ANC, who made it clear that the first thing he’d do on arriving inheaven would be to find the nearest ANC branch.The Mandela family is outraged at this abuse of its revered elder. We understand that, as a founding father of our nation and beloved president, there is a sense in which Madiba “belonged” to all South Africans. But his legacy is not for sale to political parties. Not to the DA, EFF, FF+ or any other party.For the DA to use his voice to try and convince South Africans to vote against the only political organisation he ever held dear is acrudely disrespectful distortion of history.

Below (in green italics) is the text of thecomplaint formally submitted to the IEC and ASASA today.

COMPLAINT IN RESPECT OF DA TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT VIOLATING THE ELECTORAL CODE, ANDREQUEST FOR INTERVENTION 

 

Over the past weekend, a DA election advertisement using thevoice of former President Nelson Mandela was brought to theattention of the Mandela family. The use of the former President’svoice was not approved by his family or the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

It is a matter of public record that uTata Mandela was alifelong member and leader of the ANC, and that he said the firstthing he’d do on getting to heaven would be to join the nearest ANC branch. Speaking of the DA’s predecessors, the NP and DP,President Mandela once said: “The NP and DP are engaged in adesperate struggle to out-compete each other in a race whichthey believe will be won by whoever convinces the white minoritythat they are the most reliable and best defenders of white privilege.” 

 

For the DA to use uTata’s voice against the ANC is a distortion offact and a distortion of history. It is unfair, unpalatable, unethicaland unacceptable.

 

Please find below an electronic link to view the advertisement.

 

We hereby request your good office to urgently consider thismatter and take appropriate steps to stop this unashamedmanipulation of our Father of the Nation.

 

Yours faithfully 

 

NKOSI ZWELIVELILE MANDELA MP 

Here is the Ad in Question: