Indlulamithi South Africa Scenarios 2030 arrived in the Eastern Cape on 28 August to expand the footprint of its strategic dialogues with leaders from different sectors. The air in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro was filled with tension and uncertainty after the removal of Athol Trollip as mayor the previous day. The Indlulamithi roadshow had come to the right place at a significant time.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MDBA) co-hosted the event in the city and both its chairperson, Phil Goduka, and CEO Ashraf Adam, helped drive the conversation. This encompassed the current state of South Africa and the use of the Indlulamithi scenarios as a strategic tool for business, government and civil society to progress towards a social compact for South Africa.
The participants who filled the Athenaeum auditorium were drawn mainly from the business sector, academic institutions and non-government organisations.
The Indlulamithi team, led by Prof Somadoda Fikeni, began the workshop with a presentation on the background to the scenarios. The powerful dramatised storytelling that captivated the audience at the national launch in June was put to work once more, taking workshop participants on an imaginative tour to three possible futures.
The scenarios were well received, and the audience engaged deeply with the content. Many appreciated the massive task Indlulamithi had undertaken in identifying and clarifying factors that prevent the country from achieving its desired future. Some participants engaged critically on the methodology that had been followed or pinpointed other shortcomings. The Indlulamithi team has committed to addressing such matters in the final publication.
Overall, the Port Elizabeth session was an endorsement of Indlulamithi and its quest to move the country towards a fundamental social compact.