By Phaphama Tshisikhawe
South Africa’s democracy, once a global symbol of hope under Nelson Mandela, is unravelling - not only from the grip of state capture but from a more insidious threat: a non-active citizenry. Prof Maluleke delivered the keynote address at the elective conference of the -Defend Our Democracy- NGO, which took place at GIBS in Illovo on Saturday, 25 October 2025.
Prof Maluleke evoked the bold vision of Mandela, Sobukwe and Biko, contrasting it with a democracy increasingly scarred by corruption. “As early as the 1990s, Desmond Tutu warned of a ‘gravy train’ mentality in parliament,” he said. From the Arms Deal scandal to the Gupta family’s plunder of state resources - exposed in Thuli Madonsela’s 2016 State of Capture report which led to the Zondo and now the Madlanga Commissions - South Africa bears self-inflicted wounds."
Instead of merely discussing the theory of democracy, Prof Maluleke used real life examples of failures in the execution of democracy as well as the social impact is such failures – the Life at Esidimeni Tragedy, the Marikana massacre and the death of Michael Komape in a school pit latrine, the ‘disappearing’ of six-year old Joshlin Smith and the hired killing of Babita Deokaran.
The 2024 elections, marked by a record 41% voter no-show, signal a more alarming danger: a disengaged citizenry. Prof Maluleke warned that this apathy, threatens democracy’s foundation. Too often, leaders claiming to speak for “our people” silence them, presuming their needs without listening. He called for a national dialogue to amplify the vibrant voices already echoing - at bus stops, in taxis and on social media. “We must reclaim our dreams,” he urged, warning against a nihilistic public that abandons its own sense of agency.
Quoting Chinua Achebe and W.B. Yeats, Prof Maluleke decried a political, economic and intellectual leadership class that, amidst the current ‘State of Capture’, is disconnected from the democratic aspirations of ordinary citizens.
In closing, Prof Maluleke challenged South Africans to channel the conversations in spaza shops and stokvels into a unified force for transformation.
Please click here to view Prof Tinyiko Maluleke’s keynote address