Political parties exploring a multi-party agreement announced on Thursday that Professor William Gumede will be the Independent Chairperson of the Multi-Party National Convention.

The parties involved are the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF+), ActionSA, the United Independent Movement (UIM) and Spectrum National Party.

Opposition party leaders will hold a National Convention on August 16 and 17 in Johannesburg to discuss a possible pact in the run-up to the 2024 elections.

As an independent chairperson of the process, Gumede is not affiliated to any of the participating parties.

He is an Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance and founder of the Democracy Works Foundation. 

He also teaches a programme for MPs of the Commonwealth on how to manage country Parliaments, ensure effective oversight of the executive and government entities, and how to conduct themselves ethically as MPs.

He also runs a course on public policy and economics, including how to put together the National Budget for MPs from all political parties in South Africa. 

He mediated in several country civil and communal conflicts, including the eSwatini conflict between the king and his allies and opposition parties ahead of the 2013 national elections.

Gumede has advised several African governments on alternative approaches to hold violent belligerents accountable following civil wars, including the civil war between Christians and Muslims in the Central African Republic and the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He was the facilitator in the healing and reparation process between the mine, victims and communities, following the Marikana Massacre in South Africa.   

The parties noted in a joint statement that there was a need for the talks to benefit from the wisdom and experience that was available in South Africa and, which they sid, was too often ignored by political leaders. 

“In considering Professor Gumede’s significant contributions to South Africa and various democracies around the world, it is evident that there is no South African who is better placed to guide our multi-party process,” the political parties explained.

For the Pact conversation, Gumede will manage the process together with former Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration CEO Nerine Kahn, Germany’s Trier Institute for Democracy and Party Research director Professor Uwe Jun and experienced journalism and communications specialist Zamayirha Peter, who will be a communications adviser for the convening team.

The parties said Gumede had already begun chairing weekly meetings to establish a multi-party agreement for the event.

“These meetings enable parties to engage around the agenda for the Convention and to build greater consensus ahead of the Convention. Already these engagements are benefitting from the experience and wisdom that Professor Gumede and his team have brought to the table,” the parties said.

They expressed their commitment to presenting South Africans with a compelling alternative vision and direction for the country, adding that the basis for this agreement would be an agenda to address the greatest challenges facing the country.

This agreement must lay the foundation for a new multi-party government in 2024 that can start the work of moving the country forward again, they said.