National Consultative Workshop on the Moral Regeneration Movement draws into a successful conclusion

The two-day National Consultative Workshop on the Moral Regeneration Movement of South Africa has successfully concluded after more than 150 delegates and representatives from Government, civil society and a host of stakeholders from across the length and breadth of South Africa gathered in Benoni, Ekurhuleni Metro in Gauteng from 07-08 November 2019.

In his capacity as the Patron of the Moral Regeneration Movement, Deputy President David Mabuza has directed that all sectors of society be mobilized under the Moral Regeneration Movement banner in order for the nation to work together in re-instilling in each and every citizen and resident in South Africa, “a Reconstruction and Development Programme of the Soul, as inspired by former President Nelson Mandela”.

To this effect, the Office of the Deputy President has coordinated the development of a 3 year over-arching programme to be championed by Deputy President Mabuza and supported by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa. 

The workshop is part of this partnership-oriented programme, involving broad-based participation of civil society, the private sector and Government at national, provincial and local levels.

Deputy President Mabuza has earlier noted the concerning lack of funding for the MRM programme and called for stakeholders to leverage on existing government programmes led by various departments such as Correctional Services, COGTA, Health, Basic Education, South African Police Service, Social Development and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture where the promotion and popularisation of the Charter of Positive Values is being embedded to their programmes of action.

The National Consultative Workshop was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Ms Nocawe Mafu, who called on all sectors of society, particularly her colleagues in government departments, to make available human and financial resources to the Moral Regeneration Movement as the conscience of Government. Currently, only the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture has provided funding to the Moral Regeneration Movement.

“There has to be an effort of maximizing on the existing resources,” she said, “with one of the approaches being to co-host, co-fund and co-facilitate Moral Regeneration Movement activities with other institutions, especially as Deputy President Mabuza has directed that our work must be driven by civil society.”

Chairperson of the Moral Regeneration Movement, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa gave a contextual history of the work of the Moral Regeneration Movement over the years and called on it to be streamlined across all departments and provinces in South Africa, especially at municipal level.

Delegates and participants who attended the workshop represented government departments such as the Presidency, South African National Defence Force, South African Police Service, Social Development, Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, COGTA, Correctional Services, MRM Units from Offices of the Premiers in all nine provinces, representatives of municipal and district councils, civil society organisations such as the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Heartlines, NICSA as well as statutory bodies such as the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL), the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

It is envisaged that the two-day workshop on the Moral Regeneration Movement, facilitated by Prof Dasarath Chetty of the Durban University of Technology, will produce a consolidated draft National Programme of Action to be presented to the Deputy President, the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture as well as the Board of the Moral Regeneration Movement towards its final adoption at the planned Moral Regeneration Summit to be held before the end of 2019.


Media enquiries: Bongani Majola on 082 339 1993 or bonganim@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria