On the blurb on his 2017 book “Get Up! Stand Up!" we learn that “Mark Heywood plays a pivotal role in South African public life and the movement for social justice. He has spearheaded momentous victories for poor people, establishing the right to antiretroviral treatment and to textbooks in schools among others. Executive Director of SECTION27 and a key figure in SaveSouthAfrica, Unite Against Corruption and the Treatment Action Campaign, Heywood has inside experience of tough campaigns and what it takes to mobilise thousands to create change."
Many of his admirers were surprised when he nailed his colours to the mast of “Change Starts Now”, an aspirant political party whose existence was alas, very short lived. In the vacuum he then decided to put his shoulder behind to Rise Mzantsi, another political party, founded by former journalist Songezo Zibi.
In this second instalment of “Eudemony Dialogues on Democracy” Mark explains why he supported Rise Mzansi but why he doesn’t support their decision to join the Gauteng Provincial Coalition government of Premier Panyaza Lesufi. He asserts the Gauteng ANC leadership have been corrupted, and that an overlap exists between them and criminal syndicates who are helping themselves to the large budgets still controlled by ANC MEC’s in the Cabinet.
He explains the pattern of corruption he has seen from the start of the Life Esidemini scandal, the murder of whistleblower Babitha Deokoran up to the present, which explains why the Gauteng ANC remains locked in the politics of 'Power Over', in sharp contrast to the 'Power With' ethos of the grand coalition that governs at the National parliamentary level.
Is that because the Gauteng ANC needs 'power for' the continuation of corruption?
He also reminds Songezo Zibi that he committed himself to introducing a private members bill to overhaul the Protected Disclosures Act and garner 1 million signatures from citizens to ensure whistleblowers are protected, supported and incentivised.
If that happens, it wont be long before more whistleblowers speak out to expose the deep level corruption in the Gauteng Provincial corruption.

Mark also explains what keeps him going and his plan to write another book, on the “Joy of Activism”.

Camera: Tebogo Phaale.