A United Front to drive a campaign to reclaim Nelson Mandela Bay will be launched during the month of October.
This was one of the resolutions adopted at a recent summitt of faith-based and religious organizations, political parties, social movements, arts and cultural formations, labour movements and NGO's in the Metro.
The summitt was held to develop a programme of action against what they said was the growing social-ills in Nelson Mandela Bay.
These ills include the growing unaccountability of elected representatives and widespread maladministration within the local government, the growing cancer of corruption and the absence of ethical and good governance, amongst others.
The summit resolved that residents and ratepayers of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Area should take their destiny into their own hands.
Here is the full statement:
Introduction:
We, as representatives of faith-based and religious organizations, political parties, social movements, arts and cultural formations, labour movements, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Nelson Mandela Bay moved by growing social-ills in our metro met in a regional summit on 20-21September to deliberate about these issues that face our communities. Convened by the Interdenominational African Ministers' Association of South Africa (IDAMASA), the summit was historic that it brought organizations from different backgrounds and traditions.
Although not a deterrent to the determination of the delegates to deal with the challenges that face the Metro, the non-attendance at summit by government and public representatives who were invited perturbed those present at the meeting. Delegates felt that this was reflective of a government that is unresponsive and public representatives that display a strong sense of arrogance to those that elected them.
The morass that besets our Metro:
As delegates we spent a lot of time examining the morass that besets our Metro.
Amongst the issues identified were the following:
" The growing unaccountability of our elected representatives and widespread maladministration within our local government.
" The growing cancer of corruption.
" The absence of ethical and good governance
" State of education
" State of health
" Crime
" Killing of Department of Correctional Services Officials by offenders
" Unemployment and poverty
Taking our destiny into own hands:
The summit resolved that as residents and ratepayers of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan area, we should take our destiny into our own hands. No one will free ourselves from the social ills that we face in the Metro, but ourselves. It is for this reason that we have decided to launch a Nelson Mandela Bay Metro United Front that brings together different organizations in the metro around a common programme of action. The foundation of this united front will be different area committees based in localities in our metro. The target date for the launch of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro United Front is October 2014. This summit mandates the steering committee that worked with IDAMASA to prepare for the summit to prepare for this launch. As a practical step towards the launch, the summit agreed to hold a series of Masithethisane - People's Dialogues in different areas of the Metro where we encourage our people to speak about their challenges and where they will be asked to state what they see as solution to their problems. Further to this we will continue with our bilaterals with various organizations in order find common ground for common action.
Reclaim our Metro Campaign:
As an immediate step to take residents and ratepayers' destiny into their own hands, the summit decided to launch a Reclaim our Metro (ROM) Campaign. Elements of this campaign will be the following:
1. Making our public representatives and councilors accountable to our communities by :-
" Ensuring that public meetings are held in each ward before and after council meetings. These meetings must be platforms to give mandates and receive feedback.
" We will further use constitutional rights and subpoena elected leaders to come and account through our Masithethisane gatherings.
2. Launching a campaign to expose all the corruption that takes place within the metro:-
" We will mobilize our people against IPTS corruption scandal. The Pikoli report on the IPTS must be acted upon.
" We will campaign for the return and further investigation of the Kabuso report.
" Legal action against individual person/s who are found to have committed crime or corruption in our Metro and Province. These individuals must be held individually liable for cost
3. Making our schools real sites of learning:-
" We will pay site visits to certain schools that are characterized by vandalism, gangsterizism, drugs, poor results and absence of educators.
" Reports will be compiled and relevant authorities will be engaged.
" We will campaign for devolution of power to district offices.
4. Taking our health system out of the intensive care unit (ICU):-
" We will pay visits to certain clinics and hospitals in our Metro.
" We will compile reports as portfolio of evidence. We will conduct interviews with patience, care workers and doctors as part of this campaign.
" We will use all relevant provisions in the Constitution of the country. We have right to health. We will work with all persons and or institutions in order to realize our rights.
5. Fighting a crime and fighting for safe communities particularly for women and our children:-
" We will visit police stations, conduct investigation, and have interviews with relevant stakeholders.
" Engage relevant stakeholders to address the rot in our police service.
" Encourage communities to part of creating safer communities.
6. Intervention to senseless killing of the DCS Officials by offenders:-
" We will visit St. Albans Correctional Services, conduct investigation, and have interviews with relevant stakeholders.
" Engage relevant stakeholders to address the ills in that department.
" Encourage communities to take part in this campaign.
" An INDABA will be called, inviting all role players ( DCS Area/Regional/Head Office & Minister, DCS Officials, offenders, offender's parents or families, religious fraternity, social movements, NGO's, unions, government, etc.) to discuss & come-up with solutions in this matter urgently because it continue leaving orphans, widows & widowers.
7. Dealing with joblessness and inequality in our communities:-
" Campaign against unemployment
" Campaign for a right to work to be constitutionalized in RSA.
" A detailed program of action will be developed to enhance these ideals.
Conclusion
Out of extensive debates that emerged both in plenary and commissions in the Summit, we came up with a detailed program of action to guide the work of the Front. This program will be multi-pronged in attempt to respond to the social ills identified by participants. This program will be canvassed across the spectrum so that it enjoys societal legitimacy.
Issued by:
Rev. Dr. James V. Fatuse [General Secretary]
