LETTER: Civil society’s efforts need co-ordination

The growing calls for civil society groups to become directly involved in government and to take the state to task more aggressively over its dismal and widespread failures, need to be heard and acted upon by civil society leaders.

These calls, well articulated by Songezi Zibi, Yolisa Pikie and many others, including the writer, correctly reflect the realisation that our political establishments and the executive are destroying the political, social and economic health of our nation through incompetence, corruption and pure laziness, and that they are incapable of rescuing the country from the many crises they have plunged the country into (“ANC’s ruinous policies can never grow the economy”, January 31, and “It’s up to civil society to restore integrity in administration”, February 1).

However, the question is not so much why civil society should participate and directly influence government more dramatically, but how. SA is blessed with many excellent civil inspired and initiated organisations, but they are widespread and diverse in purpose. There needs to be a manner of unifying these organisations so they can speak and act with one voice and take on the government “in the courts, streets, workplace, classrooms and ballot boxes”.

It would take only a few of the leaders of these organisations to form a steering committee with a view to initiating an inclusive civil society convention for the purpose of political, social, economic and constitutional advancement within our country.

Not unlike Codesa, such a convention would be a powerful agent for change, provide the momentum for a real social compact between the relevant sectors of society, and produce a much needed “new form” of inclusive democratic government for SA. Who will answer the call?

David Gant
Kenilworth

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