POLOKWANE – With a drive-slow planned through the City of Polokwane, the Move 1 Million is an international campaign aimed at unifying South Africans for a better future.

The movement, launched in July 2020, has garnered interest from half a million South Africans, to date, and organisers are using a combination of online and on-foot methods to engage, educate and empower South Africans across all communities.

Their aim is to encourage at least one million South Africans, locally and internationally, to stand united at protests, in vehicle convoy’s and on street corners on Saturday, 5 September 2020.

The movement, founded by Jarette Petzer and Joanita Van Wyk, is also working on a mass campaign for direct elections. In June 2020, 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 believe that this will set 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 who they wish to put forward as Members of Parliament or Members of Provincial Legislature to represent their party at national or provincial government respectively,” Joanita said.

South Africans living abroad have arranged various protests and gatherings to stand in solidarity with the movement in more than 16 countries including Portugal, Mexico, Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the UAE, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Uganda, Madagascar and the U.K.

“This is set to be the largest movement of its kind in South Africa since Apartheid,” Joanita added,

Those who wish to participate are encouraged to wear a black shirt and to bring homemade placards and banners displaying ‘M1M’. The event will take place between 09:00 and 11:30.

For more information, visit the event page on Facebook.