1. Sanibonani,
Goeie More,
Dumelang,
Molweni,
Avuxeni,
Ndaa!
Good MorningSouthAfrica.
Let me beginbyapologisingforourdelayedstartthismorning.Like all of you,we deal withpower
outagestoo.
As a people,we have travelledalonganddifficult journey.
Afterourpainful anddividedpastwe emergedintothe lightof democracywithhopesanddreams
and a belief inthe prospectof buildinganew country.
I rememberfeelingasense of pride whenIcouldstandina longqueue withmydiverse fellow South
Africanstovote in 1994. I wasfinallyacitizeninthe countryof my birth.
I believedwe wouldsee anexplosionof opportunityasthe shacklesof ourpasthad beenbrokenby
great menandwomenwhohad achievedthe impossible inSouthAfrica.
But, like you,Icame to see howour countryfell intothe handsof evil people,people whoinflicted
painand sufferingonthe peopleof ourcountrythroughtheirgreedand failure.
26 yearsintoour democracy,SouthAfricansare suffering.
We sufferfromthe highestlevelsof inequality.
We sufferfromaneconomythatdoesnot grow,leaving10 millionpeopleunemployedandfamilies
destroyedbythe stressof hunger.
We sufferfromlevelsof crime thatleave law-abidingcitizenslivinginfearwhile criminalsroamour
streetswithimpunity.
We sufferfromaneducationsystemthatgroomsour youngpeople fornothingbetterthan
unemployment.
2. We sufferfromracial divisionandhatred,andbetrayal of the promise thateverySouthAfricanis
equal andvalued.
We sufferfroma governmentthathastakenusbackwards,not forwards;thatlootsthe fundsmeant
to deliveropportunity,dignityandservicestothe peopleof ourcountry.
We suffergreatlyasa people.
But, myfellowSouthAfricans,
If there is one thingI knowaboutthe SouthAfricanpeople,itisthatwe are resilient.
We have enduredhardshipandhave prevailed.
We succeedinspite of ourgovernmentandnotbecause of it.
We believe,evenwhenthere islittle tobelievein.
Andletme tell youtoday,we are the majorityinour country.
We are not the radicalswhohate and sow divisionsamongstus.
We are not the criminals,the extremists,the corrupt,orthe racists.
We are the good,hard-working,law-abiding,family-orientedandfreedom-lovingpeople of our
belovedcountry.
We are the SouthAfricanswholove ourcountry,hate whathas beendone toit, buthave givenup
on the political systembecause itdoesnotgive uscause forhope.
We are the greaterpeople of thiscountry,the silentones,the unseenandignored.
We are black,we are white,we are indian,we are coloured,we are young,we are old,we live in
cities,we live invillages,we are heterosexual,we are LGBTQI,we are men,we are women,andwe
all have had enough!
Because we have beensilentforsolong,we’ve givenpowertothe noise of the few whoclaimto
speakforus.
But not anymore,ourvoicesare risingandrising.
We are ready to take actionand take back the future of our country.
There isnothingas powerful inthisworldthanthatmomentwhengoodpeople realise thattheyare
the majority,andstandtogetherto change the course of historyasone.
3. Today,I stand before youtoofferyouhope inthe face of our despair.
I standbefore youtodayto launch a new future forourcountry inthe face of our national
depression.
I standbefore youtodayto tell you,witha deepsense of conviction,thatwe will emerge fromthe
depthsof our despairandentera newage of prosperity.
Make no mistake,itwill not be easy.
We face the grim prospectof 3 to 7 millionmore SouthAfricansjoiningthe ranksof the unemployed
inthe wake of Covid-19.
We face trade unionsthat will protecttheirmembersatthe expense of the unemployed.
We face political partieswhowill wanttodivide usbecause theyare threatenedbythe positive
change that we threatentobring.
However,if there isone thingthatI have learntbyengagingSouthAfricansthroughThe People’s
Dialogue,itisthattogetherwe will overcome andprevail.
Today I am proudto announce the valueswhich,together,we have carvedintothe foundationof
bedrockon whichourvisionforSouthAfricawill be built.
We standwiththe majorityof SouthAfricansfora non-racial future.
I affirmtodaythisnon-negotiabletruth,thateverySouthAfricanhasanequal and intrinsicvalue,no
lessandno more than any other.
Racismdiminishesthe equalityandworthof a SouthAfricanand setsbackprogressin ourcountry.
It has noplace in thisnewpartyand it has noplace in our country.
WhenI startedmy businessatthe age of 22, manypeople won’tknow thatIpartneredwithawhite
AfrikanerfromBoksburgandan IndianfromLaudium.Inthe mid-1980’s,whenit wasillegal todo
this,we succeededtogethertobuildasuccessful business.
Thisis the dreamI have for SouthAfrica.
Togetherwithyou,we standforsocial justice.
I wantto share a storywithyou,the daymy heartbroke for the millionsof people inourcountry
livingwithoutdignity.
While campaigninginAlexandrainJohannesburgin2016, I came across a youngwoman.
4. She had all the qualitiesthatwouldhave placedherinanyboardroomif onlylife hadbeenfairto
her.
She invitedourdelegationintohershack andI noticedshe hadno toiletfacilitiesanywhere nearby.
I askedher;“How do yousurvive withoutatoilet?”She repliedthat“Ihave trainedmybodyto only
needthe toiletatmyplace of work.”
We cannotfulfil ourdestinyof anon-racial future,as longasthe brutal legacyof our history
continuestopersistlike this,ahistorythatdeprivestoomanyof ourfellow SouthAfricansof even
the most basicof life’sdignities.
We cannotsit back andallowour fellow SouthAfricanstolive insqualorin informalsettlements
across our country.We are goingto reclaimourcitiesfromcriminal elementsandofferthese
buildingstothe private sectortobuildaffordableaccommodationforourpeople,studentsandsmall
businesses.
BBBEE hasnot servedanyone butthe wealthy,politically-connectedeliteoverandoverandover
again.
It mustbe putin itsrightful place inthe rubbishdumbof ourhistory!
Andmust be replacedwithamassive programme of investmentintoeducationandopportunityin
areas where communitiessufferfromthe legacyof our unjustpast.
We believe inthe transformative powerof education.
Despite spendingone of the highestpercentagesof ourbudgetoneducation,oureducationsystem
isrankedas one of the worst,particularlyinthe critical subjectsof mathsandscience.
We will launchaneducationrevolutioninSouthAfrica,withanew curriculumthatraisesanationof
employersandnotjustemployees.
We are goingto focus oninvestinginEarlyChildhoodDevelopmentCentrestoprepare andequip
everychildinSouthAfricaat an earlystart ineducation.
Small businessdevelopmentandthe skillsof future jobswill becomeafocusinour schools,along
witheffortstoteachyoungmenabout respectingandprotectingthe womenof ourcountry.
ADTU will learnthatwe,the majorityof thiscountry,choose our childrenoverthem, andteachers
and principalswillbe performancemanaged.
5. We,the majorityof thiscountry,standfor economicprosperityforall SouthAfricans.
I personallyknow the powerof economicfreedom.
I grewup inthe rural village of Garamotse,Hammankraal inthe northof Pretoria.I know the pains
of hunger!
I startedmy businessatthe age of 22 and have enjoyedthe freedomthatarose frommyhard work.
Thisis mydream forall SouthAfricans.
Unemploymentisdestroyingourcountry.Over10 millionof ourfellow citizenslive withoutthe
dignitythatcomeswithworkwithmillionsmore projectedtojointheirranksafterthispandemic.
Whenour citizensare unemployed,andtheybecome dependentonthe state tosurvive,their
dignityandself-worthisdestroyed.
Childrengrowupnotseeingtheirparentsgoingtoworkand the familyunitbecomesdevastated.
Withthisour country growsweakerandweaker!We mustchange this.
We will leadthe revitalisationof the SouthAfricaneconomythroughaclear,decisive and
uncompromisingimplementationof soundpoliciesthatwill deliverthe promise of aprosperousand
sharedfuture.
We will reformthe labourlawsof ourcountryand endthe strangleholdthattrade unionshave over
our government.Trade unionsare akeystakeholder,justlike anyother,buttheywill nothave a
vetorightof our economicdestiny.
We mustmake it easierforbusinessestohire more of ourcitizensbecause we cannotprotectwhat
will soonbe a minorityof employedpeople atthe expense of the majorityof unemployedpeople.
We will remove everybarrierinthe wayof small businessesandwe willactivelysupportthem.
One stop-shopswill be created,justaswe didinJohannesburg,where small businessescanreceive
all the helptheyneedtogetstarted.
We will ensure accesstofinance throughgovernmentinsuredloansthroughcommercial banks,and
we will offertax incentivestoall small businesses.
The cornerstone of our economicofferwillbe the establishmentof free trade zoneslocatednear
areas of highunemployment.We mustendthe eraof believingthe worldowesussomethingand
offerthe investmentincentivesthatmakesSouthAfricaanattractive place toinvest.
6. We will nottreatthe private sectoras adversariesbutaspartnersinthe workof employingevery,
single SouthAfrican.
WhenI was growingup,I rememberthe industrial areasof Babelegi,Ga-Rankuwa,Mogwase,
QwaQwa,Seshegoandotherareasacross the country.In these communities,the onlypeople who
didnot workwere those whodidnotwant to work.
Today these communitiessitwithunemploymentlevelsapproaching80% and youthwhositon
streetcornerswithoutpurpose intheirlives.
These state-ownedindustrial areasare full of factoriesthatlie empty,abandonedandderelict.A sad
reminderof anera whenSouthAfricawasa manufacturinghub.We mustchange this.
We will take these abandonedfactories,andwe will putthemouttothe private sectorwith
incentivestorecommissionthemandemploypeoplefromthese communities.
These areaswill once againbecome hubsof economicactivity.We will sooncommissionastudy
throughone of the leadinguniversitiessothatthisplancan be put intoaction onour firstday in
office.
We will investheavilyinuniversities,FET,nursingandteachers’collegesaswell asvocational schools
so that everyyoungSouthAfricanhasaccessto a setof skillsthattheycan put to use inimproving
theirlives.
For any of thisto happen,we have toreorganise the national budget.
In thisfuture Ispeakof,there isno room forState OwnedEntitiesthatneedbailouts!
There isno room forcadre deploymentthatemploysANCcadres.
There isno room fora cabinetof 70-odd people,andthere will be noroomforthe vastVIP
protectionservicesandlavishlifestyles.
We,the majorityof thisnation,standresolutelyforthe Rule of Law.
Our countryhas degeneratedintoasocietywherelaw abidingcitizenslivein fearwhile the corrupt
and the violentfearnothing.We mustchange this.
Our police force needstobe restructuredtobecome amoderncrime fightingmachine.We need
more policemenandwomen.
We needtoresource ourdetective unitsandmodernise ourinvestigativecapacity.We have to
remove the political interference thatcripplesourpolice.
7. Our court systemneedstobe resourcedandexpandedsothatthe pace of justice isspedup.
A systemof electedregional headsof the NPA mustbe introducedsothat we,the people of South
Africa,can holdthemto account forprosecutorial performance.
We needspecialisedunitstotackle prioritycrimesinSouthAfrica,includingthe re-establishmentof
The Scorpions.These specialisedunitsmustfollow aprosecutorial style of investigationandmustbe
supportedbysimilarlyspecialisedunitsinthe NPA andourcourt system.
One thingI can guarantee you,as someone notoriousforsayingwhatImeanand meaningwhatI
say,is that I hate corruptionwitha passion!
Corruptioncannotbe foughtwithrhetoricor platitudes,butonlywithaction.
I didthisin Johannesburgwithaprofessionalunitthatinvestigatedover6000 cases,involvingmore
than R35 billioninexpenditure,andeffectedmore than800 arrests.
If you wantthisthroughoutour country,and if youwant to see politiciansinjail forcorruption,or
the likesof the Gupta’sextraditedtoface trial inSouthAfrica – thenyouhave foundyourpolitical
home!
Like all of you, I have growntiredof the cases of repeatoffendersbeingreleasedonparole and
committingrape andmurderagain.
In the comingmonths,ourparty will considerthisquestionandperhapsitistime toconsider,ata
minimum,throwingawaythe keyforthose whoare foundguiltyof genderbased-violence,rape or
murder.
I am tiredof the rightsof criminalswhokill andrape overand overagain,beinggivenastronger
voice thanthe murderedandrapedyoungwomenwhowouldstill be withustodayif their
murderershadnot beenreleasedfromprison.
In the interim,we believe thatprivate prosecutionisthe route topursue whilstourcriminal justice is
still captured.
Our party standsforan endto illegal immigration,andwe standfirmonthis.
We are a sovereigncountryand,assuch,we have borders.
Despite thiswe have notmetthe expectationsof ourowncitizensand,therefore,cannotpossibly
meetthe expectationsof citizensof othernationswhoare here illegallyaswell.
8. We have the rightand legal obligationtoourcitizenstodetermine whomayenterourcountryand
for whatreason.These are not onlyourlaws,but the lawsof most self-respectingnationsinthe
world.
I standagainstxenophobiaandthere isnoplace forthisor anytype of hatredinour party or inour
country.
So,letme be clear:we want the people of the worldtocome to SouthAfricato work,vacationand
invest.
But, whenpeople enterSouthAfricatheymustmeettwoveryreasonable requirements.Firstly,they
mustenterour countrylegallyand,secondly,theymust obeyourlawsonce here.
Thisshouldnotbe negotiable!
My fellow SouthAfricans,
We have a crisistakingplace across ourborder.
For yearsour governmenthaswatchedwhileZANU-PFdestroyedacountryonce capable of feeding
much of SouthernAfrica.
Thiscrisisimpactsour countrydeeply,anditisnow time for a new approach.It istime for hard
diplomacy!
We mustadoptthe strongestandharshestpoliciesagainstanoppressivegovernment,andnot
punishthe people of Zimbabwe.
Thisshouldstart byfreezingthe assetsof ZANU-PFleadersinSouthAfricaandbanningthemfrom
enteringourcountryuntil there isreal reforminthat belovedcountry.
We cannotstand forjustice,dignityandhumanrightswhile ignoringthiscrisisacrossourborder.
Ladiesandgentlemen,
We committo deal decisivelywithdrugsyndicatesthatdestroythe future of ourvulnerable youth,
and inthe process,destroyourfamilies.
We will deal withtheminthe onlylanguage theyunderstand:withforce.
We alsobelieveisdealingdecisivelywithcriminalsyndicatesdestroyingourcountry’sinfrastructure.
It angersme to watch as our rail networkisbeingopenlydestroyedondailybasiswhile ourpeople
are beingfailedbyourpublictransportsystem.
9. Andit angersme to see our electricityinfrastructure beinglootedwhenourpeople live indarkness.
Thistoo mustchange.
Alongwithyou,we standfor electoral reform.
SouthAfricansmustvote directlyfortheirPresident,Membersof Parliament,Premiersandtheir
Mayors.
Theyshoulddoso ina constituency-basedsystemthatforcespolitical partiestoputforwardcredible
candidates,notthe careerpoliticiansthatsitinourparliamentrepresentingtheirambitionsandnot
our needs.
If we didthisas a country,we wouldbe able to holdelectedofficialsaccountableandwhat
candidatesofferwouldbe more importantthanwhichpartytheyrepresent.
While we fightforthischange inlegislation,we will notjusttalkthisprinciple,butwe will live ittoo.
We will putwordsintoaction!
Our candidateswhocontestelectionswill notbe choseninbackroomsby our party.Theywill be
chosenbyyou,the people of SouthAfricathroughasystemof directdemocracyinthe formof
primaryelections.
Candidateswhoapplytobe publicservants,will campaignintheirwards,andwhenthe time comes,
those whohave registeredwithus,willbe askedtovote tochoose theircandidate forourparty in a
primaryheldbefore electionday.
Thisverysame systemwill be usedtoperformance manage ourpublicrepresentatives.Those who
disappointyouwill be replaced.Ourpublicrepresentativesmustserve youthe people.
Alongwithyou,we standfor ethical leadershipanda professional publicservice.
SouthAfricais filledwithpromiseandpotentialbutwe are beingheldbackbygreedand corruption,
and the lootingof state resourcesmeantforbasicservices.We mustchange this.
We will holdthe publicrepresentativesof ourpartyto the highestethical standardsandensure that
we declare corruptionasPublicEnemyNumber1.Thisis notnegotiable.
We will actto professionalise the publicsectortoensure thatwe buildacapable and efficientstate
that servesthe interestsof the SouthAfricanpeople,andnotcareerpoliticiansanddeployedcadres.
10. Publicsectorappointmentsshouldbe basedonmerit,competenceanda commitmenttoethical
service tothe people.
LadiesandGentlemen,
These are our values,forgedinpartnershipwithmillionsof SouthAfricans.
It isan unbreakable bondwhichwillneverchange, while will nevershiftandwill neverbe forgotten,
because itwasforgedwithyou.
We will notbe an oppositionparty!SouthAfricahasmanyoppositionparties,butithasno
governmentinwaiting!
The oppositionhasfailedinSouthAfricabecause theylackbroadappeal andtheydonotoffera
viable prospectof unseatingthe ANC.We will change this.
Where we contestnextyear,we will win!
Where we win,we will governforthe benefitof all SouthAfricans,andwe will make thisourofferto
all of South Africain2024.
My fatherpassedawaywhenIwas 2 yearsold,and my motherwasa domesticworkerin
Johannesburg.Iwasraisedbymy sistersandmygrandfather.
It was mygrandfatherwhotaughtme,“listentowhat people say,buttrustonlywhattheydo.”
Thisis whyI say to youtoday,the time for talkisnow over.
My fellow SouthAfricans,
It isnow time toreveal the name andidentityof ournew party.Now is the time foraction!
Watch the name andlogoreveal videohere:https://youtu.be/f3Yi3FDOKmU
Nowthat the time fortalkingisover,and the era of Actionisupon us,I standbefore youto dedicate
thisnewparty to you,the people of ourcountry.
Before Iproceed,Ihave askedmy familytojoinme onstage,to thank them.
I wouldnotbe standinghere todaywithouttheirunwaveringsupportof oursharedvisiontofix
SouthAfrica.
We will achievenothingasindividualsorasa countrywithoutstrongfamilies.
11. ThisI knowfor sure!
I am blessedbyafamilythathas backedour endeavours –supportingme throughthisdifficultand
time-consumingjourney –andfor leadingthe wayinresourcingthiseffort.
My belovedwife,Connie,ourchildren,NkhensaniandRhulani,Ithankyoupersonallyforyour
sacrifice andsupport,andon behalf of all SouthAfricanswhobelieve inthe importanceof thisnew
party.
Theyare part of the majorityof our people whorefusetogive uponour country.
We will nolongerbe silent.
We will nolongerletthe corrupt,the racistand the radical few speakonour behalf.
We will nolongerallowourcountrytobe destroyedbygreedandincompetence.
Let usAct as one againstcorruption,
AndAct as one for a capable and ethical government.
Let usAct as one againstunemployment,
AndAct as one for jobsand qualityeducation.
Let usAct as one againstcrime,
AndAct as one for the protectionof our womenandchildren.
Let usAct as one againstgrowinginequality,
AndAct as one for social justice.
Let usAct as one,because actionsspeaklouderthanwords!
I thankyou.
