Podcasts about rivonia circle

Zain Johnson is in conversation with Tessa Dooms, with the Rivonia Circle – to reflect on our country's democracy on the Day of Reconciliation. How much progress is there still to be made? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clement Manyathela speaks to Tshidi Madia, the EWN Politics Editor; Tessa Dooms, the Director at the Rivonia Circle; and Mbhazima Shilowa, a political commentator ahead o the political gatherings of the EFF, SACP and MK Party.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Tessa Dooms | Director Rivonia Circle Tessa Dooms is the Director of Rivonia Circle and joins Africa to speak on the expectations they have, and the public should have – of the new Speaker of Johannesburg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Tessa Dooms, director of the Rivonia Circle about Floyd Shivambu leaving the EFF for the MK Party, and what it means for opposition politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tessa Dooms is the Director of Rivonia Circle and joins Africa to speak on the swearing-in of the 7th administration of the South African cabinet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate Youth Day, it's a sharp reminder that South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, with 61% of those aged 15-24 and 40% of those aged 25-34 being very vulnerable. Young people face unique challenges when it comes to finding their place in the world.  Some of the challenges youth in South Africa face include high levels of unemployment, limited access to quality education, economic inequality, crime rates, and social issues, such as substance abuse and violence. Additionally, they may encounter psychological and emotional stressors related to these challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. This year marks the 48th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, when young people protested against the Bantu Education Act, which enforced Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools and apartheid laws that oppressed black South Africans. TODAYS'  commemoration is held under theme "Actively advancing socio-economic gains of our democracy".  Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Tessa Dooms ,  Political analyst  and Director of Programmes at the Rivonia Circle and Anele Satsha, Head of Economic Policy & Research and the SA Youth Economic Council (SAYEC)

It's a breakthrough moment for Mexican women as former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum is elected the country's first female president. While the result is undoubtedly historic, many see her as the continuity candidate -- Sheinbaum is the protege of the popular outgoing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador -- and are concerned that while she will continue his popular anti-poverty measures, she may also inherit some of his anti-democratic efforts as well as his failure to rein in violence. Mexican scholar and public policy analyst Viri Rios joins the program to discuss.  Also on today's show: Tessa Dooms, Program Director for Rivonia Circle, a South African NGO; Åsne Seierstad, Author, "The Afghans"; TV host George Stephanapoulos  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tessa Dooms is the Director of Rivonia Circle and joins Africa to speak on good citizenship as we refelct on the elections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aubrey speaks to Tessa Dooms, Director of Programmes at the Rivonia Circle examining the latest election results and the future of South African politics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relebogile Mabotja asks the listeners about their voting experiences joined by Naledi Ngqambela the Research Coordinator at the Rivonia Circle. While also playing the #WeTheVoters Boardgame with the listeners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Clement chats to: Theto Mahlakoana - high-impact strategist and governance researcher , Mbali Ntuli - Founder and Owner of the Ground Work Collective  and Naledi Ngqambela - Researcher with Rivonia Circle about the importance of voter education, what need to be done in order of voter education to be more effective and what would it take to get young people of South Africa to be interest in voting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TK Pooe & Lukhona Mnguni | The TK Show In this episode, TK speaks with political maverick Lukhona Mnguni. They explore Lukhona's journey as a political commentator, delve into the difference between neutrality and objectivity, and discuss why Lukhona rejects the label “political analyst.” The conversation also addresses the fearmongering around the so-called “Doomsday Coalition” between the ANC and the EFF, examines how polling can be manipulated to advance political agendas, and envisions what South Africa might look like beyond the 2024 elections. TK Pooe (PhD) is a senior lecturer at the Witwatersrand School of Governance; his main fields of research are Public Policy themes such as Local Economic Development, Law and Development, Scenario Planning and Thinking, and Failure Analysis. Over the last ten years, he has lectured and consulted for various institutions like the North-West University's Government Studies Programme, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Gordon Institute of Business Science (University of Pretoria) and the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute. Before joining academia, he worked in various government institutions as a Public Policy research consultant. Twitter LinkedIn Lukhona Mnguni is a governance, politics and development specialist and currently serves as the Acting Executive Director and Head of Policy and Research at the Rivonia Circle. He has also played in the politics broadcasting space, having hosted a flagship show: Power Talk on POWER987, a commercial radio station in Gauteng Province and recently, On the Spot with Lukhona Mnguni on eNCA. He holds a Bachelor's in Community and Development Studies and an Honours degree in Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies, both achieved cum laude from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Lukhona completed his MSc in Africa and International Development at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2015.  Twitter Rivonia Circle Subscribe to our Substack.   Follow us on Social Media: YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram   Subscribe to the Discourse ZA Podcast: iTunes Stitcher Spotify RSS feed  

Guest: Tessa Dooms | Director of Rivonia Circle  Tessa Dooms is the Director of Rivonia Circle, she joins Africa Melane to explore the characteristics and values that make for a desirable member of Parliament and discuss what this means for the future of South African leadership.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is a vote for a smaller party a wasted one? Tessa Dooms | Director at Rivonia Circle by Radio Islam

Manifestos are all the talk, but what do they actually mean?The team chatted to Programs Manager at Rivonia Circle, Khanya Burns-Ncamashe  about what Manifestos are, how to find them and whether or not parties actually follow through with what they say.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's panel discussion, Africa Melane (standing in for Lester Kiewit, discusses the nuances around the splitting of votes. His panellists are Tessa Dooms, Director of Rivonia Circle, and Wayne Sussman, an elections analyst. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tessa Dooms, sociologist, development practitioner, activist, and a director at the Rivonia Circle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Rivonia Circle director, Tessa Dooms, about the possibility that supporter signatures were forged in order for political parties to meet the requirements and deadlines to contest the upcoming national and provincial elections, and whether any decision to investigate this might result in a delay in the elections taking place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year's elections hold immense significance for the country, simply because of the possibility of the first-ever coalition government at the national level. While coalition governments already exist at local and provincial levels, this would mark a historic milestone in national politics. Some political parties have already displayed their support for a multiparty government, while the ANC remains resistant. Joining me to discuss this, is Tessa Dooms, Director of Programmes at the Rivonia Circle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lukhona Mnguni is Acting Executive Director for Rivonia Circle and he joinsJohn to consider results at the polls that have shown the MK Party to bemaking inroads in the KZN Province.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ConCourt has dismissed a challenge to the Electoral Amendment Act brought by BOSA, Rivonia Circle.The IEC introduces principles and guidelines for using digital and social media in African elections. Sixteen (16) African Electoral Management Bodies (EMB) hosting elections this year will attend the launch and socialisation of the principles and guidelines for using digital and social media in African elections.The Department of Water and Sanitation calls on public members to send their written submissions and to make their voices heard on the amended National Water Act (NWA) and Water Services Act (WSA) by the 1st of March 2024.President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in terms of Section 174(3) of the Constitution, embarked on a process of consultation with the leaders of political parties represented in Parliament and the Judicial Service Commission to convey his nomination of Judge Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya as Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bronwyn Williams & Tessa Dooms | The Small Print In this episode, Bronwyn speaks to author Tessa Dooms about her latest book, “Coloured.” They discuss how “Coloured” communities are often sidelined in South Africa as people with no clear heritage or culture, why Coloured South Africans should embrace and celebrate their identity, and how her book was received both in South Africa and abroad. They also talk about the future of South Africa's democracy, including the issue of low voter turnout, the risk of poor voter education, why young men are drawn to populism, and how the 2024 elections could be the most consequential in recent history. Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, trend analyst and host of The Small Print. Her day job as a partner at Flux Trends involves helping business leaders to use foresight to design the future they want to live and work in. You may have seen her talking about Transhumanism or Tikok on Carte Blanche, or heard her talking about trends on 702 or CNBC Africa where she is a regular expert commentator. When she's not talking to brands and businesses about the future, you will probably find her curled up somewhere with a (preferably paperback) book. She tweets at @bronwynwilliams. Twitter Flux Trends Website Tessa Dooms is a Director at the Rivonia Circle. She is a sociologist, political analyst, and development practitioner with 15 years' experience. She holds a Master of Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand. Tessa is a trustee of the Kagiso Trust. Book Twitter Rivonia Circle Subscribe to our Substack.   Follow us on Social Media: YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram   Subscribe to the Discourse ZA Podcast: iTunes Stitcher Spotify RSS feed  

  Clement speaks to Terry Tselane, the Chairperson of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa and Tessa Dooms, the Director at the Rivonia Circle about voter abstention and its impact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Constitutional Court will today deliver Judgement on challenges to the Electoral Amendment Act. The new Act - Signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa allows independent candidates to stand in provincial and national elections next year. The Apex court heard arguments on the matter in August by independent candidates seeking to contest next year's election. The 2024 election will be the first time independent candidates can run for office. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Lukhona Mnguni, head of policy and research at the Rivonia Circle

Social Commentator, Author & Founder of Political Party Rise Mzanzi, Songezo Zibi on reflects on his upbringing, career, the conceptualisation behind the Rivonia Circle and on the objectives and ambitions of Rise Mzansi ahead of the 2024 national elections.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Africa Melane is in conversation with Tessa Dooms, director of the Rivonia Circle – talking about the importance of voter registration, and the challenge of getting young people to the polls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clarence speaks to Tessa Dooms Director of Programmes at the Rivonia Circle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coloured was a legally defined racial classification during apartheid referring to anyone not white or not a member of one of the aboriginal groups of Africa on a cultural basis, which effectively largely meant those people of colour not speaking any indigenous languages. The coloured community of South Africa has always felt marginalised as they have not always been regarded as  pure black or pure white. Their heritage has always been questioned and they always been associated with negativity and our democratic government hasn't always firmly acknowledged issues that the coloured community has always raised. This evening on our Political Analysis we're joined by Lynsey Ebony Chutel, a journalist, writer, a reporter for the New York Times and has worked for South African and international news outlets, and Tessa Dooms is a Director at the Rivonia Circle. She is a sociologist, political analyst, who've written a book that looks at the history, origins and background who the coloured people are and as well as their heritage and culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thami Ntuli , Chairperson KZN   South African Local Government Association (SALGA) & Tessa Dooms, Political Analyst  and director of Rivonia Circle responded to the reports that 300 councillors in KwaZulu-Natal are illiterate and whether the is a "correlation" between this and the deteriorating state of municipalities. They also addressed the issue of whether these municipal ward councillors are able to run council affairs, produce reports, and give presentations without being educated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this edition of the Business Day Spotlight host Hajra Omarjee is joined by Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi. "National unity is a big deal for people, non racialism and no one talks about it anymore. This idea that we can unite South Africans to use their skills, experience and ability to change the future of the country is really appealing to people," said Zibi. Zibi, a former Business Day editor and co-founder of think-tank Rivonia Circle, introduced the Rise Mzansi last month, saying it would contest the polls in 2024. "The fundamental thing people don't like is the ANC's culture of politics and the opposition parties just take the ANC's approach with lots of promises but hardly anything in-between elections," Zibi said. He added that mobilizing communities around issues is how Rise Mzansi intended to grow from the ground up. Business Day Spotlight is a TimesLIVE Production.

  Clement speaks to Prof Steven Friedman, Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Tessa Dooms, the Director at the Rivonia Circle and Political analyst as well as various leaders from the DA, IFP and the ACDP about the DA's proposed moonshot pact that seeks to bring together the country's opposition parties for a coalition government for the 2024 general election.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Songezo Zibi is a former newspaper editor and political commentator who was the chairperson of the Rivonia Circle, a platform that drew inspiration and courage from the Rivonia Trialists. He will need courage in the robust and sometimes even violent political world he is entering. Zibi comes from a tiny rural village called Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape that he calls one of the unseen communities of the country, where people have never had piped water or flush toilets and who live in fear of crime in the dark. He told BizNews that RISE Mzansi would soon register as a political party but that it wants to be more than that. South Africa's newest political leader envisages a non-racial movement, and the RISE Mzansi's national leadership Collective will soon embark on a series of town hall meetings nationwide to shape a People's Manifesto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the final deadline for Parliament to amend the Electoral Amendment Bill, which will allow independent candidates to contest the 2024 provincial and national elections. In June 2020 the Constitutional Court found the Electoral Act was unconstitutional as it made it impossible for candidates to stand for political office without being members of political parties. The court had then given Parliament 24 months to review the electoral legislation - But parliament failed to meet the deadline and was given an additional extension to make the necessary changes. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Tessa Dooms, Director of the Rivonia Circle

Guest: Songezo Zibi Songezo Zibi is the Chairman of the Rivonia Circle and author of ‘Manifesto – A New Vision for South Africa'. In the build up to Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, he joins John to assert that a new, stable, and visionary government must lift us out of this mess.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bronwyn Williams & Songezo Zibi | The Small Print While the structural conditions that created the initial inequalities in South Africa are a result of colonialism and apartheid, the worsening of this condition after 2010 is the result of political negligence, incompetence and rampant corruption borne out of a deep disconnection between the political elites and the real needs of the people. In this episode, Bronwyn speaks to Songezo Zibi about his book “Manifesto: A New Vision for South Africa.” They discuss South Africa's urgent need to overhaul its political and state institutions, the uncoupling of democracy from neoliberal economic policies, and the importance of values — not just rules — in a functional society. Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, trend analyst and host of The Small Print. Her day job as a partner at Flux Trends involves helping business leaders to use foresight to design the future they want to live and work in. You may have seen her talking about Transhumanism or Tikok on Carte Blanche, or heard her talking about trends on 702 or CNBC Africa where she is a regular expert commentator. When she's not talking to brands and businesses about the future, you will probably find her curled up somewhere with a (preferably paperback) book. She tweets at @bronwynwilliams. Twitter Flux Trends Website Songezo Zibi has more than 20 years of corporate experience, during which time he has been a communication and corporate affairs professional and a leader in diverse industries. Prior to joining Absa as the Head of Communications, he was the editor of Business Day. As a journalist and editor, Songezo has written extensively about South Africa's political system, economy and social dynamics. Since 2007 he has been a consistent and recognised voice for accountability, good governance, nation-building and the creation of a dynamic, inclusive economy. In January 2022, he announced the launching of Rivonia Circle, a think tank that will give birth to innovative and more effective ways of political participation. Manifesto is his second book, following on from the acclaimed Raising the Bar: Hope and Renewal in South Africa. Book Rivonia Circle Twitter Subscribe to our Substack.   Follow us on Social Media: YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram   Subscribe to the Discourse ZA Podcast: iTunes Stitcher Spotify RSS feed

Rise Mzansi, is a new political movement that has been established after months of conversations between activists led by the Rivonia Circle, a political think tank. It comes after a year in which the Rivonia Circle says it has taken a critical look at South Africa's democracy and, after careful consideration, identified what needs to be done to rescue it.  Songezo Zibi, the chairperson of the Rivonia Circle and convener of Rise Mzansi says part of that solution is for an independent ethical civil society movement that will contest for political power at the ballot box in 2024. We spoke to Songezo Zibi, the chairperson of the Rivonia Circle and convener of Rise Mzansi

Experts look at whether the findings of the section 89 panel on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the dollars found in his Phala Phala farm will lead to his exit.    Songezo Zibi, Chairman at Rivonia Circle discusses if South Africa has a leadership vacuum.    Then in personal finance, Warren Ingram, personal financial advisor and executive director at Galileo Capital explains how your investments grow — so that you don't chase unrealistic growth projections and end up investing in a scam.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Rivonia Circle Think Tank announced that it is launching a political movement to run in the 2024 elections, another player will be in the national polls. According to the former editor and chairman of Rivonia Circle, Songezo Zibi, the organisation would not become a political party be instead started a campaign with the hashtag #SAMustRise that would appear on the ballot in the upcoming elections. "A political movement needs to be concerned with local issues. Whether there is a vote or not, we constantly implement, develop, and think of solutions at the community level." Zibi stated in an interview with Radio Islam International that the movement aims to include leaders with a proven track record of offering solutions rather than making promises.

Guest: Songezo Zibi joins Amy to discuss the Rivonia Circle workshop that took place this weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24.11.22 Pt 2 - Lukhona Mnguni is a governance, politics, and development specialist. He currently serves as the Head of Policy and Research at the Rivonia Circle, and he discusses the work he is doing - reforming current systems, thoughts on President Cyril Ramaphosa's UK visit, and the real issues affecting various communities.

Head of Policy and Research at the Rivonia Circle, Lukhona Mnguni joins the show to talk about the work he is currently up to, and to shed light on some of the pressing issues that various communities face, comments on the ANC ‘ecosystem', and thoughts on President Cyril Ramaphosa's UK visit.

Head of Policy and Research at the Rivonia Circle, Lukhona Mnguni joins the show to talk about the work he is currently up to, and to shed light on some of the pressing issues that various communities face, comments on the ANC ‘ecosystem', and thoughts on President Cyril Ramaphosa's UK visit. The Burning Platform

Guest: Songezo Zibi | Chairman at Rivonia Cricle Songezo Zibu joins John to discuss a recent survey of 2000 registered South African voters by the Rivonia circle that has indicated that if any election were held today, the ANC's share of the vote would drop to 41% from the 57,5% that it obtained in the 2019 National Election.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Daily Friend Show with Sholan Booysen, Nicholas Lorimer and Martin Van Staden. They discuss criticism of Malema by the Human Rights commission. They also chat about some opinion polling from the Rivonia Circle on the state of political play and lastly on the court victory of the new Amazon headquarters in Cape Town. Subscribe on Google Podcasts · Subscribe on Apple Podcasts · Subscribe on Spotify

Today's Daily Friend Show with Sholan Booysen, Nicholas Lorimer and Martin Van Staden. They discuss criticism of Malema by the Human Rights commission. They also chat about some opinion polling from the Rivonia Circle on the state of political play and lastly on the court victory of the new Amazon headquarters in Cape Town. Subscribe on Google Podcasts · Subscribe on Apple Podcasts · Subscribe on Spotify · Website · Facebook · Instagram · Twitter

Lukhona Mnguni, head of research at Rivonia Circle, joined Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to discuss the results of polling data and other research his organisation commissioned and worked on with Ipsos. The discussion started with an explanation of the research methodology. McKaiser pressure-tested the integrity of political polling in South Africa generally, raising concerns about demographic representation, sample size and assumptions about telephony and so on. Mnguni conceded the importance of methodological hygiene, but explained that qualitative and quantitative methods were drawn on to ensure the results were "robust". The meat of the discussion was about the political sentiments of registered voters. Mnguni unpacked their dominant concerns, with unemployment the most worrisome. Others included crime, corruption, blackouts and the rising cost of living. These factors, voters indicated to pollsters, were inadequately addressed by political parties. In terms of governance, about 74% of respondents thought the country was heading in the wrong direction, in no small part due to their five major concerns not being adequately addressed. The conversation between McKaiser and Mnguni then segued to the implications for democracy and what practical and strategic lessons political parties ought to read from these results. Mnguni was adamant that a sceptical conclusion about the state of our democracy was not unavoidable, but depended on political parties humbling themselves, taking voters seriously, listening to them and shifting from critiquing each other to offering solutions to voters' biggest concerns. 

Lukhona Mnguni, head of research at Rivonia Circle, joined Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to discuss the results of polling data and other research his organisation commissioned and worked on with Ipsos. The discussion started with an explanation of the research methodology. McKaiser pressure-tested the integrity of political polling in South Africa generally, raising concerns about demographic representation, sample size and assumptions about telephony and so on. Mnguni conceded the importance of methodological hygiene, but explained that qualitative and quantitative methods were drawn on to ensure the results were "robust". The meat of the discussion was about the political sentiments of registered voters. Mnguni unpacked their dominant concerns, with unemployment the most worrisome. Others included crime, corruption, blackouts and the rising cost of living. These factors, voters indicated to pollsters, were inadequately addressed by political parties. In terms of governance, about 74% of respondents thought the country was heading in the wrong direction, in no small part due to their five major concerns not being adequately addressed. The conversation between McKaiser and Mnguni then segued to the implications for democracy and what practical and strategic lessons political parties ought to read from these results. Mnguni was adamant that a sceptical conclusion about the state of our democracy was not unavoidable, but depended on political parties humbling themselves, taking voters seriously, listening to them and shifting from critiquing each other to offering solutions to voters' biggest concerns. 

Guest: Songezo Zibi is chair of the Rivonia Circle, and he gave a speech suggesting that South Africa needs a new leadership vision that is not premised on having the ANC at the helm. He joins John to lay out five goals that must be met if we are to determine our true social and moral contract.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On political analysis, Lukhona Mnguni, Head of policy and research at the Rivonia Circle, talking about the vote parliament took last week by not implementing the Electoral bill.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Assembly will today vote on the new Electoral Bill which will usher in changes to South Africa's electoral system. Civil society organisations such as the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Defend our Democracy and the Rivonia Circle are calling on Members of Parliament to reject the Bill in its current form. They say the Bill does not favour voters, It is unconstitutional and undermines the foundations of our democracy. Elvis Presslin spoke to head of Policy and Research at the Rivonia Circle, Lukhona Mnguni

Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) executive secretary Lawson Naidoo argued on Friday that South Africa's electoral system should be determined by voters and not by political parties. He was speaking in Johannesburg during the Electoral Reform Indaba, organised by CASAC, My Vote Counts, Rivonia Circle, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and Defend our Democracy. Naidoo said given the inherent conflict that political parties had in choosing "the rules of the game" – as political parties determined the electoral system in Parliament – voters were left on the margins. He said the voter should determine the electoral system, whether through a comprehensive and satisfactory public participation process or through a referendum. “But as voters, the electoral system is ours, it does not belong to political parties. It is there to facilitate our participation in choosing our representatives and, therefore, we should have a say in that system itself,” Naidoo asserted. He said the country had an electoral system that detached people from what happened in Parliament and from what happened in society. He added that this was something citizens needed to turn around. “And that is why the reform of the electoral system is such a critical aspect of allowing us to facilitate the re-engagement of people with the politics of the country. Not necessarily by becoming members of political parties but by engaging in the political discourse and being able to feel confident that when you go to the ballot box your vote does count and is going to make a difference,” he said. ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL The Electoral Amendment Bill currently before Parliament did not facilitate free and fair elections, especially for independent candidates, Naidoo also argued. He said the current electoral system was twisted such that it did not accommodate independent candidates, and explained that the list system was unsuitable. “The reality is that if you are going to be able to effectively accommodate independent candidates, you need a constituency system of some sort, whether it be of a single member constituency, or even as the Van Zyl Slabbert report recommended, a multi-member constituency. It creates, firstly, a closer nexus between MPs and the electorate in that constituency, and secondly it gives independent candidates a better chance of winning seats than the current system does,” he explained. THE STATUS QUO Naidoo said there was deep reluctance by all political parties to change the status quo, albeit for different reasons. “The bigger parties want to hang on to the control that they have over their MPs . . . You fail to toe the party line, you will be removed from office. MPs, therefore, prostitute their oath of office to the party that puts them there rather than acting in the best interest of the people and the country,” he explained. He added that the current proportional representation list system allowed smaller parties a level of representation that they may otherwise not have under a different system. “So they too benefit from the current electoral system.” Naidoo highlighted that all of this was visible in the decrease in levels of confidence in elections and in the country's democracy. He mentioned that if one looked at the statistics of voter turnout at elections in recent years, it should be a deep cause for concern for all citizens, especially young people who seems to be opting out. He noted that in the 2019 elections, of the 9-million eligible people who were not registered to vote, 6-million of those were aged between 18 and 29 years. He supposed that number had probably increased in the three years since.

Our partners at the Financial Times have a fantastic podcast episode that tracks the fortunes of President Cyril Ramaphosa since he took over the reins of power from embattled former head of state Jacob Zuma. While Ramaphosa's 2017 Nasrec win at the ANC's elective conference came with much fanfare about South Africa being on the precipice of a new dawn - it wasn't to last with the sitting head of state now dogged by his own Phala Phala skeletons, while his party faced spirally fortunes in last year's local government elections and what promises to be a bruising time in the upcoming national elections in 2024. In the Rachman Review, the FT's chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman chats to writer and political activist Songezo Zibi - who's the chairman of the think-tank the Rivonia Circle - a man who may one day plan to run for the highest office in the land. The next 30 minutes an interrogation of a South Africa run by what Zibi believes is an ANC not only morally bankrupt but intellectually starved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 national elections could herald a transitional phase in the history of South Africa, depending on the emergence of a new political vehicle located outside of traditional party politics. That's what polling data tells political analyst Lukhona Mnguni, head of policy and research at think-tank, the Rivonia Circle. He's confident that coalition politics is likely to dominate the national political landscape, pointing out that the ANC's own discussion documents peg their performance in the upcoming elections at below 50%. A December survey by the Rivonia Circle found that 48% of respondents want a new alternative, while a third said they would contribute to building a new alternative if they trusted its leadership. Mnguni says South Africa has been characterised by a "democracy of egos and personalities and not a democracy of issues". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Political Analysis, we talk to Lukhona Mnguni, Political Analyst and head of Policy and Research at Rivonia Circle, talking about his latest article, that appears on Sunday Times, titled “Do not allow gangsters to hold our next elections ransom”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Solutions With David Ansara podcast I speak with public intellectual and author, Songezo Zibi, about his new book, 'Manifesto: a New Vision for South Africa'. Songezo and I speak about why he chose to leave a successful career in corporate communications to co-found the Rivonia Circle, a new think-tank focused on civic education. We speak about the crisis of leadership in South Africa, and the reasons why the African National Congress has failed to govern the country. Songezo and I debate the role of the state in economic development, and why civil society groups and organised business should be more active in shaping the political and policy agenda. Songezo has longer-term political ambitions, and we speak about why he is reluctant to join one of the more established opposition parties. We conclude by addressing one of South Africa's holy cows: race-based empowerment. LINKS About the book: https://manifestobook.co.za/ Rivonia Circle: https://rivoniacircle.org/ TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (01:00) Songezo Zibi on his corporate career (03:59) Songezo Zibi on the Rivonia Circle (06:07) Songezo Zibi on why the ANC has failed (10:50) Songezo Zibi on loadshedding (14:22) Songezo Zibi on the role of the state (16:40) Songezo Zibi on the role of civil society (19:20) Songezo Zibi on the role of business (26:15) Songezo Zibi on political correctness (28:14) Songezo Zibi on his political ambitions (30:32) Songezo Zibi on opposition parties (34:57) Songezo Zibi on defeating the ANC (37:50) Songezo Zibi on race-based policy (46:11) Songezo Zibi on how to affect change in SA

People have been celebrating with some relief the publication of Songezo Zibi's new book, Manifesto. It's been a long time coming and with characteristic reticence, former Business Day Editor Zibi tells former Business Day Editor Peter Bruce in this episode of Podcasts from the Edge that he still isn't quite ready to say quite what his new future will look like. Getting the book done was just the start but Manifesto at least makes his intentions clear. “It is Herculean,” he says of the job of forging a new think tank, the Rivonia Circle, and of creating a possibly new institution. But, he says, “in this respect, I have decided to take every step necessary to ensure that what I say here (in the book) does indeed take place”. In other words, there's a new political party/formation/something on the horizon and it promises to be exciting. Zibi is young and smart and deeply contemptuous of our current political choices. He believes though that there is a vast mass of voters looking for an alternative to the status quo come the 2024 general elections, the ANC, the DA and the EFF. He is going to go and find them.

People have been celebrating with some relief the publication of Songezo Zibi's new book, Manifesto. It's been a long time coming and with characteristic reticence, former Business Day Editor Zibi tells former Business Day Editor Peter Bruce in this episode of Podcasts from the Edge that he still isn't quite ready to say quite what his new future will look like. Getting the book done was just the start but Manifesto at least makes his intentions clear. “It is Herculean,” he says of the job of forging a new think tank, the Rivonia Circle, and of creating a possibly new institution. But, he says, “in this respect, I have decided to take every step necessary to ensure that what I say here (in the book) does indeed take place”. In other words, there's a new political party/formation/something on the horizon and it promises to be exciting. Zibi is young and smart and deeply contemptuous of our current political choices. He believes though that there is a vast mass of voters looking for an alternative to the status quo come the 2024 general elections, the ANC, the DA and the EFF. He is going to go and find them.

Rivonia Circle Calls on SA To Come Together To Tackle Corruption & Poor Service Delivery by Radio Islam