Thabo Mbeki Calls for National Dialogue Post-Elections

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki emphasized the need for a national dialogue to address the country's multiple challenges after the recent general elections. He highlighted the importance of ANC's transformation and urged all political parties, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, to respect the democratic process to ensure peaceful governance.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday called for a national dialogue to determine the country’s future after the general elections as the nation was facing ''too many challenges.'' In a brief interaction with the media after casting his vote in the Johannesburg suburb of Killarney, he said that there are too many challenges in the country.

“Beyond today, I think the country needs to get together in a national dialogue. There are too many challenges in the country, so we need to get together,” Mbeki said.

“So, let’s go and vote and vote (in) whoever, but the nation must come together afterwards to say: what do we do with this South Africa of ours? It’s very important,” Mbeki said.

The 81-year-old former president said it was also very important for the African National Congress (ANC) to transform itself.

The party which has ruled since Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically-elected president 30 years ago has come under increasing pressure for corruption within its ranks at all tiers of government which has left the country with rolling electricity blackouts and poor service delivery at local government level.

”It’s also going to be important that the ANC must do what it says about itself. It must renew itself. It’s important because it’s got a very important role to play in terms of the future of the country,” Mbeki said.

Although he did not name any particular leader, Mbeki made a plea to political parties in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to “respect the democratic process.” Former President Jacob Zuma, who was ousted by the ANC after huge public outcries about his alleged role in facilitating massive looting and state capture during his nine-year tenure, started his own political party in the province.

But due to having received a jail sentence, rules precluded him from participating in this election.

This has sparked fears of violent reactions from his followers in the MK party, named after the former armed wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe.

“All of the political parties in KZN must respect the democratic process and nobody should create obstacles or do anything. Let the people of KZN decide and get whoever they want. I would really appeal to everybody to do that,” Mbeki said as he called for the police services in the province to be vigilant.

“They must not allow any lawlessness. Nobody has the right to do anything illegal to impose a particular democratic outcome, so the police really need to play that role.

“Anybody in that province who says ‘I am a leader of people’ looks after his people; doesn’t go about beating up people and intimidating them. So, I really do hope that that leadership will play its role,” Mbeki concluded.