Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change

The Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change, adopted on 2 July 2022, is a statement by over 300 individuals and representatives from more than 100 civil society, labour, business, and faith-based organisations. The document asserts that South Africa's constitutional democracy is under threat from corruption and state capture, and it outlines a programme of action to reclaim democratic integrity, reform the electoral system, and professionalise the public service.

• The signatories assert that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, is under direct threat from corrupt forces that oppose democratic rule, the rule of law, and constitutionalism.
• The document identifies a decade of state capture, large-scale corruption, and systemic capture of the state by compromised politicians, public servants, and private business interests as factors that have weakened democracy and hindered the state's ability to ensure dignity for its people, a reality confirmed by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.
• The declaration calls for fundamental reforms to the electoral system, arguing that the current closed party list system prevents a truly representative parliament and hinders the accountability of public representatives to voters.
• The participants pledge to campaign for the professionalisation of the public service and state-owned entities (SOEs) by ending 'cadre deployment' and implementing the merit principle, lifestyle audits for senior appointments, and consequence management.
• The programme of action includes combatting corruption and state capture by demanding the implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendations, pressuring the National Prosecuting Authority to prosecute perpetrators, and supporting whistle-blowers.
• The declaration advocates for a new economic model that is inclusive and prioritises basic needs, empathy, solidarity, and both social and climate justice to address inherited issues of poverty, inequality, and joblessness.
• The conference resolved to transform the 'Defend our Democracy Campaign' into a flexible popular movement that will not contest elections but will instead implement the adopted programme of action to defend constitutional democracy.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (2022). Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Final-declaration-Conference-for-Democratic-Renewal-and-Change.doc.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change. 2022. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Final-declaration-Conference-for-Democratic-Renewal-and-Change.doc.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change |date=2 July 2022 |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Final-declaration-Conference-for-Democratic-Renewal-and-Change.doc.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{publicaffairsresearchinstitute2022declaration, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change}}, publisher = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Final-declaration-Conference-for-Democratic-Renewal-and-Change.doc.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }