DURBAN - ANC stalwart Mavuso Msimang called on citizens and activists to hold leaders accountable for their actions at the official launch of the Active Citizens Movement in Durban on Saturday.
Msimang described corruption, state capture and infighting in the ANC as a national crisis.
The country was going through the most difficult period since 1994, he said, calling for citizens who played a role in bringing an end to apartheid to return to activism.
“We have a substantial budget in all sectors, but it is crippled by corruption, incompetence and lack of accountability.
“This takes us back as the country is threatened and our hard-earned democracy has been eroded,” he said.
“I believe if we unite against this evil we have the expertise to rescue our country as we did before.”
Among the dignitaries at the launch were former Constitutional Court judge Zak Yacoob, Professor Yousuf Vawda and Ela Gandhi.
Interim chairperson Siva Naidoo said the Active Citizens Movement had been working for 18 months to consolidate its presence in different communities.
It had addressed issues affecting communities in different sectors and had so far formed 15 branches across the province.
“The aim is to encourage concerned citizens to link up with other people sharing a similar view and become active on issues affecting them. We should demand account-
ability from our elected public officials,” Naidoo said.
The Active Citizens Movement would be a forum to support social cohesion and poverty alleviation and fight inequality, he said.