Local residents and those from surrounding areas joined the international Move One Million campaign and took part in a slow-drive through town.

The demonstration, organised by Move One Million, saw participation from across the country as well as support from 16 other countries on Saturday September 5.

The campaign is aimed at unifying South Africans for a better future. The goal: to get one million people to join hands in peaceful protest to raise awareness about fraud, corruption, genderbased violence, murder, racism and any other form of brutality across the country and abroad.

What began as a reasonable approach to keep South Africa safe under lockdown, has turned into a looting frenzy in which billions of rand have gone missing.

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According to one of the organisers of the event, MC Pretorius, the movement was founded by Jarette Petzer and Joanita van Wyk and was launched in July. The faction is currently working on a mass campaign for direct elections.

“Enough is enough! We reject the escalating violent crimes and genderbased violence. We reject the racial baiting and divisive narratives. We reject ongoing poverty, finger-pointing and the lack of accountability. The people have, for too long, obeyed a government that divides us, instead of unites us,” said Pretorius.

The organisation has demanded that legal action be taken against senior government officials involved in corrupt activities and total transparency in the revision of the direct electoral process. Local bikers’ clubs also took part in the grouping.

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BLOCK: In June, the South African Constitutional High Court ruled that the current Electoral Act is unconstitutional as it does not allow for individuals to stand as independent candidates in local and national elections. This campaign seeks to empower citizens to stand united in ensuring all relevant changes are made to the Electoral Act within the 24-month time frame issued by the court.

The Move One Million team believes that this will set the precedence for future generations by providing a legal process that will give more power to the people of South Africa to “hire and fire” those who represent them in government. 

This is in contrast to the current legislature, which provides for indirect elections whereby citizens vote for a party and each party’s select committee chooses whom it wishes to put forward as members of parliament or members of provincial legislature to represent them at national or provincial government respectively. This is set to be the largest movement of its kind in South Africa since apartheid.