We’re not part of Freedom Movement – Save SA
Save SA is independent and does not align itself to any political party, it says.
Save SA members demonstrate outside the National Treasury while they await Pravin Gordhan, the now ex-minister of finance, to address them, 31 March 2017, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
The Save South Africa campaign said they would not be taking part in the “Freedom Movement” launched by the Democratic Alliance and others in Johannesburg yesterday and that they distanced themselves from the initiative.
Save SA spokesperson Mandla Masango said they were committed to engaging with formations that shared their objectives, and acknowledged the many initiatives by all sectors that shared the same core objective of ending state capture and forcing the president to step down.
“We do not, however, regard political parties as part of civil society and believe that authentic civil society movements should not involve political parties in any shape or form,” he said.
Masango added that organised civil society had a specific role to play, which was quite different from that of political parties.
“Political parties must be in parliament and vote out the president in a motion of no confidence,” he said.
Masongo said he believed the political parties were doing the right thing in saying Zuma must go, but their fight should not be joined with civil society.
He concluded by saying Save SA was independent and did not align itself to any political party.
“Our initiatives have enjoyed support across many political parties, and we want to maintain that position,” he said.
