LETTER: In need of a dream team

Songezo Zibi’s excellent article made the point that the populace has run out of hope in the promised “New Dawn”, and if change is going to come (it needs to, and fast) it is going to have to come from civil society, organised and smaller business, churches, NGOs, educators, community leaders and each and every citizen who did not bother to vote in the previous election (“ANC’s ruinous policies can never grow the economy”, January 31).

Business does have an important role to play, but to really spark this hope for a better future what will be required is the emergence of a fearless and attractive leader who can provide inspiration and a rallying point.

Perhaps we need a hastily convened national crisis and hope committee, where South Africans from all walks of life could imagine a government consisting of the best in their field for each portfolio, and invite this dream team to form the basis of a front to contest the next election, with significant funding from business.

Imagine Mark Barnes for communications and the Post Office, Jonathan Jansen for education, Neal Froneman for mining & minerals, Thuli Madonsela for woman’s issues, Brian Joffe for small business. The talent pool is wide and most committed South Africans would gladly take a four-year sabbatical to save our bacon.

Perhaps an online nomination process could be held to see which proven achievers taxpayers would trust. Dreaming? Yes, the South African dream.

Michael Hook 
Parkhurst

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