The leading figures supporting the Save South Africa protest

02 November 2016 - 11:46 By TMG Digital
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A who’s who of struggle stalwarts‚ religious leaders‚ businesspeople and civic activists gathered at Pretoria’s St Albans Cathedral under the banner of Save South Africa on Wednesday morning.

The People’s Assembly Against State Capture was originally planned to coincide with appearance of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and two former SA Revenue Service (SARS) officials on fraud charges.

While the charges were dropped‚ Save South Africa pushed ahead with the march with the aim of “addressing the acute social crisis that has been brought about by corruption‚ mismanagement and political intrigue”.

  • ANC's Mashatile tells #SaveSouthAfrica assembly: 'We must be part of this fight. It's the right thing to do'Flying the anti-corruption flag for the African National Congress‚ the party's Gauteng chairperson Paul Mashatile has told ordinary South Africans they are not alone as their stand against state capture and corruption. 

Present on Wednesday at St Albans was one of Gordhan’s co-accused‚ former SARS deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay‚ whose early retirement and rehiring was at the hearts of the abandoned fraud charges.

Struggle stalwart Cheryl Carolus‚ who earlier this year called for President Jacob Zuma to resign‚ was there.

Another noted anti apartheid activist was former minister Barbara Hogan‚ who was axed by President Jacob Zuma in 2010‚ who was there with her life partner Ahmed Kathrada‚ a friend of the late Nelson Mandela who spent time with him on Robben Island.

Representing business was AngloGold Ashanti chairman Sipho Pityana‚ who last month called for Zuma to step down‚ labelling him the “sponsor-in-chief of corruption”. He also made a tearful speech lamenting the state of the ruling party and the country at the funeral for the late Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile earlier this year.

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Another captain of business was Telkom chairman Jabu Mabuza‚ who told Wednesday’s gathering that he was “opposed to malicious‚ politically motivated prosecutions. We also commit to fighting inequality and social injustice.”

SA’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein told the assembly that the battle against corruption “is a titanic fight against good and evil”.

Another religious leader was Anglican Bishop of Pretoria Allen Kannemeyer‚ who adapted an African saying: “When elephants fight‚ the grass suffers. It is the poor that suffers now.”

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Retired Constitutional Court Justice Zak Yacoob‚ a vociferous Zuma critic‚ was in the cathedral‚ and media law expert Dario Milo tweeted that he was “honoured to be sitting in same row as Justice Zak Yacoob”.

The Treatment Action Campaign was represented by Anele Yawa‚ who said that "during the dark days of Aids denialism‚ it was the TAC who stood up to the government. Today we must stand up again.”

CEOs at SAVE South Africa People Assembly - Roll call of big business

Chief executives from some of South Africa's biggest businesses attended the #SaveSouthAfrica assembly at the St Albans Cathedral in Pretoria on Wednesday‚ where the People's Assembly against State Capture held its activities on 2 November 2016.

CEO List

• Simpiwe Tshabalala‚ CEO – Standard Bank

• Adrian Enthoven – Executive Chairman of Yellowwoods‚ chairman of Hollard Insurance Group

• Isaac Shongwe – Non-Executive Director‚ Letsema Consulting & Advisory

• Mark Lamberti – CEO‚ Imperial Holdings

• Jacques Celliers – CEO‚ FNB

• Roger Baxter - CEO‚ Chamber of Mines

• Nicola Galombik – Executive Director‚ Yellowwoods

• Mike Brown - CEO‚ Nedbank

• Stanley Subramoney – CEO‚ Menston Holdings

• Geoff Rothschild – CEO‚ Mediclinic

• Tanya Cohen – Director of the Retail Association

• Bridgitte Backman - Director for Corporate and Regulatory Affairs‚ Distell

• Ralph Mupita – CEO‚ Old Mutual Emerging Markets

• Stephen Koseff - CEO‚ Investec

• David Fine – Senior Partner‚ McKinsey

• Michael Katz – Chairman‚ ENSafrica

• Adrian Gore – CEO‚ Discovery

• Martin Kingston - CEO‚ Rothschild

• Maria Ramos - CEO‚ Barclays Africa ‘Group

• Lisa Klein – Interim CEO‚ SME Fund of the CEO Initiative

• Harry Groenewald – Senior Executive‚ Finance and Administration‚ Chamber of Mines

• Donald Dinnie – Managing Director‚ Norton Rose Fullbright

• Robert Legh – Chairman and Senior Partner‚ Bowmans

• Mxolisi Mgojo – CEO‚ Exxaro

• Charles Bromley – CEO‚ PG Group

• Chris Venter – CEO‚ Afgri

• Colin Coleman – Managing Director and Partner‚ Goldman Sachs

• Roger Jardine – CEO‚ Primedia

• Ravi Pillay – Corporate Affairs Director‚ Nestle South Africa

• Jabu Mabuza - Chairman‚ Telkom

• Adam Craker – Head of IQ Business Group

• Cassim Coovadia – Managing Director of Banking Association

• Nic Kohler – CEO‚ Hollard Insurance

• Nicky Newton-King - CEO‚ JSE

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