Johannesburg- There are instances when demo-cratic processes do not necessarily yield the most desirable results. Whenever this happens, the onus is on political leaders to rise to the status of statesmen and stateswomen and provide leadership that benefits society.
The recent 2021 local government elections did not really produce favourable conditions for good governance.
The absence of outright winners and dependency on coalition negotiations and manoeuvering to form government renders any such ensuing local governments very fragile.
There was actually more political manoeuvering than negotiations this past week. This was more pronounced in the Gauteng metros, and eThekwini.
This renders the governance of the cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini very fragile. Rather than shared visions on the direction that such metros must take, the biggest focus by minority parties was to elbow the ANC out of power.
The formation of these new local governments clearly indicates a possible danger in the evolution of South Africa’s democracy.
Rather than the rule of the people for the people, it is evolving into the rule of elite political contestation.
The emerging disturbing picture is of political elites that seek popular power through elections to deal with their peers.
The implication of all this, is that the evolution of South Africa’s democracy is producing a self-serving political leadership, rather than statesmen and stateswomen.
This means the poor, who have invested their vote on political leadership to improve their lives, are at risk of further marginalisation as it was the case during apartheid.
A preferred outcome would have been a case in which the elections yielded outright winners, where one political party would have been at liberty to govern in accordance with its own electoral promises. This would have enabled communities to have a focal point of accountability and responsibility.
Fragile coalition governments weaken accountability and responsibility.
This is simply because communities may not be clear on who to deal with politically. In this possible confusion, politicians in local government structures get away with a lack of accountability.
In this mass confusion, statesmen and stateswomen need to rise to the occasion and ensure that local government structures do serve local communities.
In their political interaction, they need to prioritise that which is in the best interest of communities.
Gauteng is South Africa’s economic hub. It cannot afford to have fragile governance.
The economies of metros are major contributors to the national economy.
We hope both the leadership and community-based organisations will ensure that political manoeuvering does not happen at the expense of society’s growth and prosperity.
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