Leaders of the nascent political party Rise Mzansi have put their heads on the block that their policies could, in only 25 years, develop SA into a more prosperous and equitable society for all.
In its discussion documents for the upcoming People’s Convention scheduled for October 6 at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, the party identifies an active citizenry as one of the core ingredients to deliver its people-centred developmental state.
Accordingly, if RiseMzansi got into power, the party would only need one generation (25 years) to “reset South Africa and build an equal, safe, prosperous, and united society where everyone can live a happy and dignified life”.
“It can be done. To succeed in delivering material benefits to all citizens, democracy requires all of us to be involved and actively participate,” the discussion document reads.
However, the party, led by former editor and business executive Songezo Zibi, noted that meaningful, active citizenship could not be achieved if the political system was not designed to make it possible or effective.
Rise Mzansi blamed the alarmingly low voter turnout in recent elections on citizens losing faith in politics and political actors alike. It warned that the trend could propel SA into a failed state if nothing is done.
According to research by the Human Science Research Council, the percentage of citizens satisfied with democracy declined from 59% in 2004 to only 32% in 2022. The dissatisfaction with democracy translated into a slump, never seen before, in voter turnout in the 2021 municipal elections, where only 46% of registered voters bothered to cast their votes.
“There is a crisis of people who are eligible to vote but are not even registered. This cohort of people outnumbers the people who queued to vote in 2021,” according to RiseMzansi.
The party said the trend was influenced by a visible deterioration in service delivery and acute corruption that has been publicly reported to the public’s dissatisfaction.
“South Africa is a country not only in decline but at material risk of becoming a failed state if nothing is done to overcome the structural governance failures that lead to despondent citizens.
“The eradication of corruption will be a priority for Rise Mzansi. This must be achieved through a combination of institutional reforms and improving the quality of leaders who are given responsibility for public good institutions.”
The party said there was a trust deficit among the people who must negotiate the programme of action to improve the country. “For this reason, governance is a cornerstone of Rise Mzansi’s political programme.
“Those who are in positions of power and authority tend to treat with disrespect the very public they are meant to serve.”
Rise Mzansi said the situation created further animosity. “People do not feel as though they matter and that the state has their best interests at heart.”
Another disappointment for many people was access to justice, the party said, adding that the courts were often praised for being independent, impartial and without prejudice.
“However, this often refers to the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court. Taken as a whole, the criminal justice system does not inspire confidence in how local issues are resolved in the magisterial courts.”
Often, people were denied justice due to the incompetence of investigating officers within the South African Police Service.
“There is a need to bolster the criminal justice system, including ensuring that our magistrate courts are well equipped, resourced and have enough personnel to deal with the matters before the courts”.
“These are the busiest courts and their effectiveness and decisions are potentially life-changing for most South Africans,” Rise Mzansi said.
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