South Africa: The convention for the new breakaway ANC party

Original Post Date: 2008-10-30 Time: 18:00:07  Posted By: Gairk

The preamble of the constitution asserts that:

“… elected representatives, adopt this constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to:

• Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
• Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
• Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and
• Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations”.

Over the past few weeks the national preparatory committee for the National Convention has traveled the length and breadth of the country, interacting with ordinary men and women inside and outside the ANC. Among them, the rural poor including farm workers, communities of faith, working class, the middle strata, businesspeople – structured and unstructured, big and small – non-governmental organisations, professional bodies, academics, the media, sporting and cultural bodies, organisations representing youth, women, children and people with disabilities.

We asked people to participate and contribute ideas on how we can improve on work done thus far, to build a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, prosperous and inclusive South Africa. The response has been overwhelming, especially from the young people who previously felt disaffected and disengaged. Their willingness to participate and make a contribution to defend our democracy is evident in their readiness to volunteer their services and resources at the National Convention to make their voices heard.

The majority are in agreement that the National Convention is long overdue and that it is time South Africans engaged in dialogue to come to a consensus on we can do together to defend and strengthen our hard fought democracy, our constitution and institutions of democracy. We also need to reinstate the values of our democracy, which include political tolerance, observing the rule of law and equality before the law. We should be tireless in our efforts to entrench a non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and inclusive South Africa and to expedite the implementation of *Second-Generation Rights as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

To all South Africans we say: No idea is irrelevant or too small to consider. Every thought counts irrespective of who raises it and regardless of their ideological and political orientation!

*Human rights fall into two broad classes – First and Second generation. Civil and political rights, those traditionally included in constitutions around the world, tend to be considered First-Generation rights.

These rights, which were given expression by the Enlightenment thinkers, were the first to be recognised by law. They begin with the basic rights to life, dignity, equality and privacy. But they also include the fundamental freedoms associated with democracy: freedom of expression, association, assembly, opinion, belief and religion, and movement.

Second-Generation rights are those connected to the social and economic features of life. South Africa is one of only a few countries in the world to entrench rights such as access to food, water, housing, healthcare and social security – section 27. The right to education and the special rights of children also fit in here.

Source: www.constitutionalcourt.org.za

The Convention

Venue: Sandton Convention Centre

Date:Friday 31 October
Activity:Registration

Date:Saturday 01 November 9 am
Activity:Convention (Day 1)

Date:Sunday 02 November 9 am
Activity: Convention (Day 2)

Source: http://www.novemberconvention.co.za

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