\n \t\t\t \t\t\t
![\"nm](\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/plugins\/rss-poster\/cache\/61283_3095738288.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n \t
\n \t\t\t \t\t\t <\/p>\n
INLSA<\/p>\n
Mamphela Ramphele officially launches a new political party, Agang, which means build in SeTswana, in Joburg yesterday. \tPicture: Dumisani Sibeko<\/p>\n
\n
\t\t \t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t \t\t <\/p>\n
Baldwin Ndaba and Sapa <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Political parties reacted cautiously to Mamphela Ramphele\u2019s announcement yesterday that she had formed a \u201cparty political platform\u201d. <\/p>\n
The ANC said it was grievance-driven. \u201cThe initiative by Dr Ramphele is goading South Africans to participate at the periphery of our political dispensation,\u201d spokesman Jackson Mthembu said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst Dr Ramphele rehashes the known challenges facing our country, she does not bring any new suggestions to the table.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
DA spokesman Mmusi Maimane said: \u201cDr Ramphele shares the DA\u2019s core values of non-racialism and constitutionalism, and her move is another step in the long process of realigning politics around these values.\u201d <\/p>\n
The DA would continue to \u201cengage\u201d with her, he said. <\/p>\n
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa welcomed Ramphele\u2019s decision. \u201cWe look forward to working with Dr Ramphele in our efforts to build a strong political alternative.\u201d <\/p>\n
After weeks of speculation that she was planning to form a political party, Ramphele \u2013 Black Consciousness activist-turned-businesswoman \u2013 made her announcement at the old Women\u2019s Gaol at Constitution Hill in Braamfontein. <\/p>\n
\u201cI am working with a group of fellow citizens to form a party political platform that will focus on rekindling hope that building the country of our dreams is possible in our lifetime,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe launch this initiative under the name Agang, or in the Nguni languages of our country, Akhani<\/em>, which can be interpreted in English as \u201cBuild South Africa\u201d,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n One of its aims would be to \u201cdeclare war on corruption\u201d. Her overall message was that the poor had been the biggest losers since democracy while ANC-aligned politicians lived the high life. <\/p>\n The new party will contest the general elections next year. <\/p>\n She suggested the era of Black Consciousness, which she, along with Steve Biko \u2013 the father of her son, Hlumelo \u2013 had advocated during their student days, was over. <\/p>\n Ramphele said the country should adopt a South African consciousness. <\/p>\n \u201cWe must build a sense of common South African citizenship.\u201d <\/p>\n She said her party would make a priority of the fight against corruption, improve education, and deal with the failure of public service. <\/p>\n \u201cOur country is at risk because self-interest has become the driver of many in positions of authority who should be focused on serving the public. <\/p>\n \u201cThe great society to which we committed ourselves following our relatively peaceful political transition is unravelling before our eyes. <\/p>\n \u201cThe impressive achievements of the past 18 years are being undermined by poor governance at all levels of society. An unchecked culture of impunity and the abuse of power as well as public resources rob children, young people, rural and urban poor people of the fruits of freedom,\u201d Ramphele said. <\/p>\n \t8<\/strong>P6 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" INLSA Mamphela Ramphele officially launches a new political party, Agang, which means build in SeTswana, in Joburg yesterday. Picture: Dumisani Sibeko Baldwin Ndaba and Sapa Political parties reacted cautiously to Mamphela Ramphele\u2019s announcement yesterday that she had formed a \u201cparty political platform\u201d. The ANC said it was grievance-driven. \u201cThe initiative by Dr Ramphele is goading […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[8275,953,2143],"class_list":{"0":"post-18146","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-south-africa","7":"tag-durban","8":"tag-newspaper","9":"tag-the-mercury","10":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18146\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}