Defend Our Democracy

In March 2021, anti-apartheid veteran Reverend Frank Chikane, activists and civil society organisations heeded the call of the South African Council of Churches to stand up to attempts aimed at destabilising the country. 

The rallying call was to mobilise people to be the ‘last line of defense’ of our democracy against corruption, capture and destabilisation to avoid accountability, by those implicated. 

Rev Chikane, together with Cheryl Carolus, Professor Saths Cooper, Busisiwe Mavuso, Mavuso Msimang, Neeshan Balton, Sipho Pityana, Brigalia Bam, Adrian Gore and Reverend Moss Nthla convened the campaign. 

It expanded to include an administrative core. 

337 leaders brought into discussion about the campaign ahead of its launch. 

Some 70 organisations and over 13 000 people signed the campaign’s founding document, and here we are today!