In the 1980s, South Africa witnessed the extensive power of collective moral leadership through the United Democratic Front (UDF). Under a big-tent banner, the UDF transcended individuals who mobilised the nation against apartheid and rallied together a diverse united front.
Under its banner, civic groups, churches, student organisations, unions and ordinary citizens banded together under a shared mission to end oppression and build a democratic South Africa.
The UDF did not revolve around a single personality. It was built on shared values, collaboration and a belief that leadership is not about being served, but about serving a vision and its affected peoples. It was a model of political maturity that allowed robust debate, while being steadfastly anchored by a unifying vision.
Today, as our democracy faces its contemporary challenges of corruption, inequality and the erosion of trust in politics, South Africa is yearning again for a spirit of unity at a time such as this. It is in this spirit that Unite for Change has been born.
The UDF was led and shaped by some of South Africa’s most eminent leaders of that time — Allan Boesak, Frank Chikane, Cheryl Carolus, Murphy Morobe, Valli Moosa, Jeremy Cronin, Andrew Boraine, Archie Gumede, Matthew Goniwe, Mkhuseli Jack, Helen Joseph, Trevor Manuel, Oscar Mpetha, Victoria Mxenge, Sister Bernard Ncube, and Albertina Sisulu, to name a few.
They did not compete for prominence. They collaborated for progress. Their power lay in unity of purpose, not uniformity of thought. They showed that leadership can be collective, disciplined and humble. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they demonstrated how collective leadership can disagree in private while marching together in public.
Unite for Change draws inspiration from that model. Just as the UDF mobilised all of society to bring political freedom, we are building a movement to bring ethical, effective governance and economic renewal to every corner of our country.
Following Unite for Change’s launch, questions about who leads the organisation have come thick and fast. From the outset, our founding agreement states that Unite for Change is not built around one person. It is built around a shared leadership collective.
At the heart of this project lies a National Management Committee that ensures that decisions are made collectively, transparently and in the best interests of the mission. All leaders share responsibility and accountability. All have an equal voice in shaping our direction.
This structure ensures that Unite for Change is mission-driven instead of the problematic culture of personality-driven politics.
True transformation
South Africa needs to move away from the idea that progress depends on a single charismatic figure at the top. True transformation happens when leadership is distributed, when every individual sees themselves as a co-owner of change.
This is the example we are setting. Our leaders are not to be served — they are custodians of a vision that belongs to the people.
The initiative is led by the National Management Committee, bringing together the founding parties’ principal leaders and representatives. Its members are Dr Mmusi Maimane MP, Minister Patricia de Lille MP, Songezo Zibi MP, Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster MP, MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa MPL, and Brett Herron MPP.
This council provides political direction, ensures coordination across partner organisations, and models the inclusive, respectful and disciplined collaboration that Unite for Change stands for.
Collective custodianship requires each leader to bring experience, networks, and perspectives that strengthen the movement as a whole. Decisions are made together. Debate is welcome, but the vision and roadmap are agreed upon collectively.
The ability to disagree without dividing, to deliberate without destructing, and to act as one even amid difference is political maturity in practice.
Trust and confidentiality remain central to this process. Without them, collaboration would be impossible. Unite for Change is modelling how politics can be both principled and professional, and that leadership can be both bold and humble.
Unite for Change is a joint platform that allows us to combine resources, talents and networks to campaign together in municipalities where South Africans feel abandoned by the political elite.
But it is just the founding formation. We intend for this organisation to grow by inviting every citizen who wants to participate in building a better country.
We invite:
- Political parties that share our values and vision.
- Prominent individuals willing to step forward for public service.
- Community organisations and NGOs working for dignity and justice.
- South Africans ready to stand as councillor candidates in their own wards and municipalities.
- Citizens who want to roll up their sleeves and campaign for change.
The door is wide open. Conversations are already under way with others who wish to join. But we are equally clear about what we will not become.
Having said that, our values are both a welcome mat and a boundary line.
Any party, organisation, or individual seeking to capitalise on division, hatred or fear will find no home in Unite for Change. We exist for all South Africans, not for any faction or tribe.
We are a movement rooted in unity, respect, integrity and service.
We also reject the false and insulting narrative that voters must choose between a party that reflects their values and one that can deliver competent governance.
Why should South Africans have to choose between ethics and efficiency? Between integrity and impact?
We believe that politics can, and must, offer both. Unite for Change is committed to proving that strong values and strong delivery are symbiotic but crucial partners.
Unite for Change is still young, but it already represents something rare in South African politics: trust-based collaboration.
Our leaders know that the success of this project depends on discipline, humility and teamwork. No one can claim ownership of the mission, because it belongs to all of us.
Unite for Change seeks to build a new culture of leadership that places the community, not the politician, at the centre of power.
Like the UDF before us, we believe that change will come when South Africans of all backgrounds take ownership of their country’s future. The time for spectatorship is over. The time for collective action has arrived. DM