Youth Day – June 16, 2013

37 years ago young people – your age and younger – came together and said in one voice: Enough is enough. Of education that robbed them of the potential to succeed.

We have waited too long. We have young people subjected to education that is in some cases worse than the Bantu education they revolted against.

In 1976 I fought alongside many other young people in the Black Consciousness Movement and thereby reignited the struggle for freedom.

20 years on we still do not have education fit for the brilliant young people we have in this country. We are again at a crossroads. We dare not fail to make the right choice. Otherwise corruption is going to steel the future of every man, woman and child.

We have to rely on young people to stand up and be counted. Many of you will be voting for the first time in 2014. Use your vote to honour the spirits of 1976. Your vote is absolutely critical.

Every day I wake up I am determined to be part of the building of the country of our dreams. If you share  this, join with me and many others to build South Africa. Have a safe and joyous youth day.

The post Youth Day video appeared first on Agang South Africa.

Ramphele could help trim the ANC’s ‘absolute power’ -  From my conversations with Ramphele, it is clear she has decided, wisely in my opinion, to conduct a targeted campaign focused on just four sectors — the economy, education, health, and safety and security. Those cover the critical areas of government failure and, with her background as a medical doctor, educationist and World Bank director, Ramphele is well qualified to craft effective policies to deal with them.

Business Day – June 19, 2103

Ramphele targets the disillusioned – There is a huge pool of non-voters and 5 million new voters who would “be seen dead before they vote for any of the parties on the horizon right now”, says Agang leader Mamphela Ramphele.

Daily News - June 19, 2103

Ramphele proposes ‘civic education’ for voters – Agang leader, Mamphela Ramphele has proposed what she calls ‘civic education’ for voters instead of voter education by political parties, ahead of next year’s elections.

SABC.co.za - June 19, 2013

Ramphele: Scars of racism haven’t healed:  She said there was a lesson to be drawn from the results of the 2009 general elections, in which 41% of eligible voters did not vote. “That’s a big statement of a lack of confidence within existing political parties.”

News24.com - June 18, 2013

“Voters don’t actually know that they have a choice. Many are being told that if you go into that ballot box, we can see who you vote for and therefore we will punish you and take away your grants or your RDP houses.” Ramphele believed the country was in a state partly because it had disempowered citizens.

IOL.co.za – June 18, 2013

The post In The News: June 17 – 23 appeared first on Agang South Africa.

Please see below for details of the day, which will be filled with friends and family, singing and celebration.

Make sure you follow us on Facebook and Twitter - let as many people as possible know you are coming along!

Saturday, 22nd June
Main Arena, Tshwane Events Centre
(previously known as Pretoria Showgrounds)
205 Soutter Street
Tshwane West

Entrance: Gate 6

Parking: P 9

Agenda
Gates open: 9am
Community entertainment: 9.30am
Official welcome with entertainment: 10.30am
MC opens the official programme: 11am
Programme runs: 11am – 1pm
Food and entertainment: 1pm – 3pm
Event closes: 3pm

Agang activity: At the event you will be able to:

Sign up for membership of Agang SA

Join as a supporter

Sign the petition to Restore Power to the People

Drop off forms of your petition signings in your area

Buy Agang merchandise

On the day

A variety of food and soft drinks will be on sale

Seating will be limited, so please bring a blanket or camping chair

No alcohol, cooler bags or glass bottles will be allowed in to the venue

The post Launch Details! appeared first on Agang South Africa.

Agang SA Invites Media for Launch of the Party on Saturday, June 22

Members of the media are asked to come to Agang SA’s offices in Braamfontein on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 June this week from 9.30am – 6.00pm to collect your accreditation. Please complete the accreditation form in advance, print and bring with you.

Click here to download:  Media accreditation form

Address -

Agang SA

First Floor, Block B

Metropolitan Building, 8 Hillside Road

Parktown, 2017

Launch day -

The launch of Agang SA as a formal political party will take place at the Main Arena, Tshwane Events Centre (previously known as Pretoria Showgrounds)
205 Soutter Street, Tshwane West

The site will be open from 9am. Please use car park P4 on Soutter Road.

Please print and bring accreditation form to the venue on Saturday, June 22.

There will be a dedicated media room.

Schedule of the day -

9am – Gates open

9.30am – Community arts performances

10.30am – MC welcome, band

11.00am – Official speaker programme starts

1pm – Close for food and entertainment

3pm – Gates close

Interviews -

The following spokespeople will be available on the day:

Thabo Leshilo, Director of Communications

Mills Soko, Director of Policy and Political Research

Rori Tshabalala, Field Director

Broadcast -

B Roll footage available on request

We will send further news around the programme, with entertainment and appearances during the week. You can also follow @AgangSA on Twitter.

media@agangsa.org.za

011 486 9466

The post Media Accreditation for Launch appeared first on Agang South Africa.

STRETCHING THE BOUNDS OF POSSIBILITY: OVERCOMING THE POLITICS OF FEAR

There is a cruel irony in that as we commemorate the 37^th anniversary of the June 16^th revolt, South Africa is again in the grip of fear.  Citizens of a constitutional democracy are afraid of speaking up against abuse of power

by a government that has become corrupt and unaccountable to them.

In 1976 young people were up against an apartheid government that was determined to force on them a poor quality education system that undermined their potential to develop their talents and to contribute to a prosperous future for their own country.  They overcame fear of the military might of the then government because they had liberated their minds from subservience to an authoritarian system.  Their bravery re-ignited the torch of freedom and made our victory in 1994 possible.

The fear that has again gripped our country is a betrayal of the legacy of those brave young people who sacrificed their youth, and many their lives, so that we can be free.  Today we have a constitution that guarantees us the right to speak, to associate with whomever we like and to vote for a party of our choice.  How have we re-imprisoned our minds to the extent of being afraid of those who are meant to serve us as public servants?

In the 1970s the conflation of the National Party, the Government and the State was complete.  Today the conflation of the ANC, the Government and the State is also complete.  Old women on old-age pensions tell us – on our listening journeys in Mdantsane in East London, eZinyoka near King Williamstown and in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg – that they are being threatened with withdrawal of these pensions if they do not vote for the governing party.  How is that possible in a constitutional democracy?  Professionals and business people are also terrified of being frozen out of government jobs or contracts if seen to be disloyal.  How is this allowable in a constitutional democracy?

Many of the citizens we have spoken to across the length and breadth of our country attest to the brutality and intimidation tactics used by those associated with the governing party who are intolerant of criticism and alternative view points.  Take Mrs Mojapelo from Namakgale in Palaborwa in the Limpopo Province.  Her independence as a social entrepreneur is frowned upon by those in the local authority to the extent that they shut down her brick-making project that was employing 59 people a few years ago.  Instead, the Palaborwa Municipality used public resources from the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Foskor Social Entreprise Development funds and ratepayers’ funds to build a white elephant at the cost of R9m.

The waste of public resources to undermine local entrepreneurs is common in many areas of our country where white elephants are created to benefit politically connected people who hollow them out as soon as they are constructed.  Corruption is stealing confidence, dignity and hope of a better future from every man, woman and child in our beloved country.  Imagine how many schools could have been renovated to provide basic toilets, libraries and laboratories with the R206m that was squandered on Nkandla upgrades of the President’s private home?

The cruel irony is that we live in a constitutional democracy in which the citizen is meant to be the sovereign at the centre of every public endeavour.  The government, whoever is the governing party, is obliged to serve the public in an impartial manner and respect their human rights.  How has it come that citizens are afraid of speaking out against the culture of impunity that has settled in the public service?

Agang is encouraged to see that it is again falling on young people’s shoulders to lead the charge and overcome the fear that is holding our country back.  Young people, both urban and rural say that they are tired of waiting for the quality education that their counterparts  fought for 37 years ago.  They say they are tired of the indignity of being fobbed off when what they need are opportunities to contribute their creative energies and innovative ideas to grow our economy.  They are becoming the strong backbone of Agang, with more than 10 000 volunteers across the country.

Another cruel irony is that women, who in 1956 overcame fear to march to Pretoria to say no the extension of the hated “dompass” to women, are today living in fear because of the culture of impunity that is driving gender based violence in our country.  The promotion of traditionalism and the ineffectual law enforcement in post-apartheid South Africa has rolled back the gains of the Women’s Movement as part of the freedom struggle.

Women, whose mothers, aunts and sisters reminded Strydom in 1956 that he had dislodged a boulder and he would be crushed, have retreated in the face of a male-dominated culture that trivializes the violation of women’s rights.  Today, women who promote “Women’s Rights as Human Rights” are being demonized as westernized feminists.  Why is there no sustained outrage from citizens – men and women – who are committed to the human rights foundations of our constitution? Where are the boulders that should be protecting vulnerable women and children whose bodies are being violated on a daily basis? Today we have gender equality enshrined in our constitution yet women have never been as vulnerable to abuse as they are in our beloved country.

Our country is once more at a crossroads.  If we continue on the current trajectory of rampant unaccountable, corrupt and nepotistic public service practices, we will destroy our potential for a future that our children and our grandchildren can be proud of.  We can and must choose a different path.  To make that choice we need to overcome the fear that is undermining our ability to use the freedom so many fought and died for to build a country that lives up to the values of human dignity, inclusive economic participation and prosperity for all.

Agang is encouraged by the willingness of a growing number of South Africans who are shedding the self-imposed fear and asserting themselves as citizens entitled to the fruits of freedom.  They are old women such as MaDlamini in Silvertown in Port Elizabeth; they are men like  Moloto in Polokwane who has been unemployed for years; they are Tebogo  an HIV positive man fighting for regular ARV for people in Indermark near Bochum in Limpopo.  Their refrain is that it is time to put an end to impunity in public life and restore integrity and quality public services to citizens. Their fight is for the simple decency of being respected.

It is possible to restore the promise of freedom so citizens can live in dignity.  It is possible to imbue integrity in public service so citizens can be treated with respect.  It is possible to restore hope so we can look forward to a future of our country that we can all be proud of.  We owe it to the legacy young people of June 16^th 1976 to build a future free of fear for all.

Mamphela Ramphele

Leader of Agang

The post Youth Day & Politics of Fear appeared first on Agang South Africa.

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However, the police service, like any other profession, needs investment, resources and training – to professionalise the service.

You can download the_infographic_here

The post Safety & Security in SA appeared first on Agang South Africa.

37% of the labour force are without jobs, made up of 25% unemployed and 12% discouraged work-seekers.

When we look at the unemployed population we find that  33% have matric, and 6.4 % have a tertiary education. But by far the largest unemployed population does NOT have matric – almost 60%.

Click here to download the full Employment_infographic

The post Employment Struggle in SA appeared first on Agang South Africa.

Agang can do well in next year’s poll – Agang comes with no baggage. The political environment is fertile for such a new opposition party, given the weaknesses and political and governance blunders of the ANC. Some analysts wrongly characterise Agang as a party of intellectuals. Depending on its campaign messages and positioning strategies, Agang can easily appeal to ordinary people. … Agang can pitch its political message to all these potential voter segments and convince them that the solution is not to boycott the polls, but to vote for an alternative.

The Star - June 11, 2013   * Jack Mokobi is an independent analyst on media and politics.

Register for African Education Week. Dr. Mamphela Ramphele is the keynote speaker and teachers can attend various workships. Learners, teachers and parents can also attend a Career Expo.

Drum – June 12, 2013

African Education Week is extremely pleased and honoured to announce Dr Mamphela Ramphele as our keynote speaker for 2013.  Here is an exclusive interview with Dr Ramphele.

Career Indaba - June 11, 2013

The post In The News: June 10 – 16 appeared first on Agang South Africa.

In 2001 1.1m students entered grade 1 with a bright future ahead of them

-       By 2012, 66%, or over 745,000 students, did not make it to or did not pass their exams at the age of 18

-       Only 10% of that original 1.1m were eligible for university

-       In the same year Grade 6 learners aged 12 years old averaged only 43% in Literacy tests and 27% in numeracy tests

Download the education Infographic here.

The post South Africa’s Education – Infographic appeared first on Agang South Africa.