“We mustn’t put our hope in the political parties. We must put our hope in civil society and each other if we want to see big changes made for the better.”
This statement, made by an audience member, was received with enthusiastic applause at an open discussion held on 10 April at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Conservatorium.
The interactive panel discussion forms part of a series that is travelling around the Western Cape, and addresses the topic “The South Africa We Want”. The discussion is hosted by the Community Chest of the Western Cape, the District Six Museum and the One City, Many Cultures Project, all in collaboration with the SU Faculty of Arts and Social Science’s centenary celebrations.
Ryland Fisher, media expert and the facilitator of the discussion, welcomes the Stellenbosch audience. PHOTO: Donovan McLaughlin
According to media expert and founder of the One City, Many Cultures Project, Ryland Fisher, the goal of these discussions is to produce a report to present to government as well as civil society organisations. Fisher was also the chief facilitator of Wednesday’s discussion.
“Our aim is to collect data that could hopefully inform us, as civil society organisations, of the issues that are important to South Africans. We hope that, through the report that we will compile at the end of this process, we will be able to inform government at different levels of our findings. We will, in particular, make representations to the National Planning Commission,” Fisher explained.
“We decided that we wanted to host a series of discussions where we wanted to give members of the public the opportunity to tell us what they wanted in the South Africa in which they live.”
The most prominent topics raised at the discussion includes state capture, racism, crime, poverty, nation building and education.
The discussion then took a more optimistic turn when a woman responded to the negativity towards government not actively addressing these social issues. She felt strongly that political parties and government must not be seen as the source of solutions, as they base their goals on a five year cycle.
“Their primary focus is to win elections. That is their goal. Not to work together towards a united common good,” she stated.
She then used the Fees Must Fall movement as an example of where civil society was the source and instigator of social change.
Members from the audience made their concerns vocal. PHOTO: Donovan McLaughlin
Fisher agreed with these sentiments: “We can no longer only depend on government to do things for us. If that message echoes throughout the country after our dialogues, then I believe we would have done a good job”.
Another well-received comment from the audience addressed the necessity of Early Childhood Development (ECD).
“Education, especially ECD, can be a practical solution in bettering the long term advancement of South Africans and society as a whole. And it is much cheaper than free tertiary education,” said a male engineering student.
Anthony Leysens, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, was also present at the discussion.
“Spaces like these create valuable opportunities for individuals to voice and listen to social grievances,” he said during the discussion
There was also an audience member who did not share these positive sentiments about the focus and goal of the discussions. The woman was of the opinion that the topic is too ambiguous and broad, and suggested that the discussions rather focus on local issues and solutions.
The next confirmed discussions will be held in George on 16 May and at District Six Homecoming Centre on 21 May.
The discussion encouraged individuals to raise their concerns regarding the most pressing issues in our country. PHOTO: Donovan McLaughlin
Featured Image: Donovan McLaughlin