The task of reconstructing nations that have been in conflict is not the responsibility of the governments they form as an outcome of peace. South Africa is a post-conflict nation that has pre-peace conflict fault lines impacting on its ability to cohere around a common program to the benefit of all. The SA conflict has spatial and demographic artefacts that are constant reminders to a no-victor settlement created nation that certain of the grievances still need resolution. It is during such historical moments that society relies on institutions created within them to help in the navigation what may seem insurmountable if government as an agency of the State is unable to.
The South African Constitution, an outcome of the CODESA political egg dance presided over by Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, 'delivers', through law, 'the dream' of a country with which society is enabled to 'heal divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and human rights'. Such a society, unless its government is established by men and women of impeccable credentials of integrity, will be in variance with what governments generally become in pursuit of 'interests', the currency of politics. It is for this reason, and within what the SA Constitution delivers as 'laying the foundation for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people', that civil society organisation step in to be custodians of creating scaffolds upon which a nation could be built.
Strategic solidarity platforms collect individuals into a unit of loosely organised thinkers, whose ideas are poolable to advance complex societal issues in a non partisan manner. These platforms and groupings work on the basis of anchoring societal values as the basis for human co-existence. The civility sought in these platforms targets the good of society as the prize of politics within such platforms. They recognise breeds of leaders with which society could be modelled around in order to proffer templates of leadership humanity can institutionalise its posterity around.
Working with think tanks, and cultural institutions, these platforms become communities of practice for social values. The create or become important stakeholder substrates with which society can mirror itself beyond the narrow limitations occasioned by political expediency. As formalised bodies, with succession planning, and a in platform grading system, they can be the basis of a pecking order anchored society. Allowed to have youth brigades through various levels of debutants, these platforms can integrate with in-school and post-school or college sororities out of which seeds of what to expect are planted.
The grievances of South Africa are so deep rooted that only a commitment by a generation to crucify itself for the sake of posterity can transition the country into a nation that trusts the necessity of having a strong State. The mere fact that inequality and privilege were and outcome of strong and deliberate State intervention, has made the idea of a strong state a fearful endeavour by those seeing it as a threat to accumulated privilege. These barriers of trust and the deficit of patriotism firmamenting South Africa require other agents of the State that are non-governmental to mediate towards nation building.
As nodes of human, industry or common interest networks, these platforms have the capacity to take on in a non-partisan way societal matters and centre them for attention by organs of state and organs of civil society. The non-sovereign potential and character of these bodies create cross-border linkages with which human-to-human international relations could become the basis for global cooperation. South Africa should thus start investing in these platforms to move the country beyond its 'transformation rhetoric' quicksand. In Xitsonga we would say 'kanyane mahembe, ku tirhiwa. Mintirho a yi vulavule', loosely translated as 'let us get to work'.
The establishment of the Broad Pool of Ideas, a solidarity platform, anchored by an advisory board, hosted in a think tank environment, is on such example of what could be done. In its stage of development where its potential is about to have an influential grip on society, yet according to its founders it has not reached its 30% potential, the BPI is reaching out to people wherever they are. As BPIans, removed and reinstated, operating as ourselves in common interest projects, operating as individuals to impact society, and just being models of solidarity, we have to date demonstrated how being focussed can attract new focusses for the benefit of society, if there is a crime we can commit, it should be one of building the greatest human solidarity platform for and on behalf of humanity.
🤷🏽♂️A ndzo ti vulavulela
🤷🏽♂️A ndzo dyondisa ntsena
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