Phakama Eastern Cape
About us
A Future Built Together: For the Eastern Cape, By the Eastern Cape
We are a people-powered, pro-development movement working to rescue and revive the Eastern Cape through principled, pragmatic, and community-driven action. Our role is clear: we stand with our communities, advocate for their needs, and hold those in power accountable so that services are delivered, opportunities are created, and dignity is restored.
We will safeguard the well-being of our people by exposing and challenging corruption, advocating for stronger public safety, and ensuring that those responsible for delivering services meet their obligations.
We will work alongside communities to create spaces free from crime, neglect, and mismanagement, while promoting our landscapes as a global destination for tourism and adventure, and supporting a resilient, pro-development economy rooted in agriculture, innovation, and sustainable local enterprise.
Civic Movement For The Eastern Cape, By The Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape stands as both a cradle of South Africa’s greatest socio-political leaders and, paradoxically, one of its most neglected provinces. From the rolling hills of Qunu to the shores of Gqeberha, this land has produced visionaries such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Steve Biko, Albertina Sisulu, and many others whose courage and sacrifice shaped the destiny of a nation. This legacy cannot be a coincidence, it reflects a deeper DNA of resilience, leadership, and community spirit rooted in the people of this province.
Yet, despite this extraordinary contribution to South Africa, the reality of the Eastern Cape today does not mirror its historic role. While it has given much to the country, what it has received in return has been inadequate: collapsing infrastructure, persistent poverty, high unemployment, failing service delivery, and communities left vulnerable to crime and hopelessness. The contrast between what we have shared with the nation and what we have retained for ourselves could not be starker.
It is from this dissonance that Phakama Eastern Cape arises; a Pan-provincial, people-powered movement with a singular agenda: to place the Eastern Cape first. This is not an imported idea, nor the work of external benefactors. It is an initiative born out of the lived experiences of ordinary citizens, and nurtured by a network of like-minded individuals who recognise the urgency of change.
What began as conversations among concerned citizens has evolved into a collective effort to build a platform of accountability, service, and empowerment, one that reflects the unique realities of the Eastern Cape.