29/01/2024
Today, RISE Mzansi in KwaZulu-Natal is excited to give a snapshot of the work we have been doing in the province.
Over the last year we have worked hard to build a team of South Africans in KZN who want to build an alternative that is inclusive and that can credibly provide solutions to the complex issues that face the residents of KwaZulu-Natal.
KwaZulu-Natal has shown that whilst it is plagued by many of the socio-political problems affecting South Africa it is also a province with unique problems and opportunities.
Today’s briefing will showcase the work RISE Mzansi in KwaZulu-Natal has already managed to do without being in public office but most importantly to relay the messages of the people of KZN that have been encountered at every event, gathering and dialogue that RISE Mzansi has held in KZN.
The question is often asked why the need for more political parties? The need for RISE Mzansi to exist is the reality of a country where political parties that exist have exhausted public confidence, have eroded the trust in the political system and has divided South Africans. This is not what the majority of South Africans want, and RISE Mzansi was and is a necessary intervention in our political system to cater for South Africans like me.
South Africans who are patriotic, who believe our country still has much to offer and importantly South Africans who want to be involved in building this country rather than breaking it down. This is always hard work but it is necessary especially when you see the
potential of provinces like KZN, which have had leaders who are not invested in an inclusive society for everybody to have opportunities to better their lives.
I am not alone but am joined by mostly young people who have volunteered their time to build RISE Mzansi. From Jozini, Emphophomeni, KwaMaphumulo to Mhlanga. We have found passinate activists in all regions of KZN.
As RISE Mzansi KZN, we have been working with communities to show that our vision for KZN is one that would be safe, prospersous, equal and united. Our contributions to the RISE Mzansi People’s Manifesto are the accumulation of our many dialogues with the people of KZN and what they wanted to see in a political party. These contributions come from the work we have done in KZN.
This work has included:
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Sports Tournaments: – Umlazi, Mhlabuyalingana, Ladysmith, Isiphingo, Clermont
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Townhalls and dialogues – Umlazi, Dassenhoek, Ulundi, Umkomaas, Ntuzuma, Inanda, KwaDukuza, Mandeni, Ladysmith, Isiphingo, uMbilo, Bluff, Mhlanga, Woodlands, Msunduzi, eThukela, KwaNongoma
We have donated, where the Provincial and Local Governments in the Province have failed. We stepped in to deliver disaster relief packages to communities affected by floods and fires in Ladysmith, Tongaat, Kennedy Road and Steadville. KZN communities which were previously ignored and forgotten by the government of the day, were cared for by RISE Mzansi.
Our Volunteers have been involved in the renovations of crèches – most recently we ran a fundraiser for the Mzansi Creche in Mandeni where we donated educational materials for learners whose access to education a was limited due to the government turning a blind eye.
Our clean up campaigns to get communities involved in the empowerment of their localities have spanned from as far as Cato Manor to Khula Village.
All of the work that RISE Mzani has been doing in KZN has been a result of answering the calls of communities but also has led to direct inputs into the People’s Manifesto, which we are actively championing and taking to the people.
KZN as a province has had no leadership whether in our municipalities or Provincial Government, which have failed to govern effectively, create an environment for economic growth and jobs, provide access to opportunities for the many jobless people who have been shut out of the economy.
Many of the RISE Mzansi Leaders, Organisers and Volunteers, like myself, have decided that the time has come for anybody who cares about this province to get involved in repairing and rebuilding it.
I, Nonkululeko Hlongwane-Mhlongo, am a mother and a wife. What we choose to prioritise as a country matters to me, and for many people like me it became very clear that unless I was prepared to help to actively get involved the province in which my kids and others could have a real future, I was unlikely to ever feel that I had done enough to create a lasting future.
Though we have done much in KZN already, we are inviting civil society, business, academia and patriotic South Africans to join us in KZN to ensure our province is prosperous.
As Rise Mzansi KZN our immediate goals would be to:
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Arrest the decline of our municipalities
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Foster a growth environment for the KZN economy
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Introduce a tourism recovery plan to take advantage of our natural resources
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Work with the business community to create jobs and opportunities
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Introduce a water plan to address the water crisis in more than half of KZN municipalities
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Establish a disaster management centre plan to equip all KZN municipalities to adequately identify, prevent or soften the impact of disasters, which have become prevalent due to a climate crisis
RISE Mzansi is building a modern political organisation of patriotic South Africans. We believe 2024 is our 1994 and we have our sights firmly on representing the people of KZN in the Provincial Legislature and Government to bring the change that this province urgently needs.
As we gear up to the upcoming Voter Registration Weekend our work continues, and we invite the people of KZN to join us across the province at our many events where we will be sharing with them what is possible if we reimagine how our political futures can be.
Our vision for South Africa is of a safe, prosperous, equal and united society where everyone can live a happy and a dignified life.
We will be rolling our key messages and narratives for the 2024 election and underscore our commitment to issue-driven, sustainable, and local social justice-rooted solution.
