A new dawn or a sobering reality check?
South Africa’s democracy is entering a new era, which will require new forms of active and engaged citizenship. After thirty years of dominating South Africa’s political scene, the African National Congress’ hold on power has been greatly weakened in the May 2024 elections. Battered and bruised by years of corruption, state capture, collapsing service delivery and an endless succession of scandals, South Africans have sent a clear message that they wanted change, and gave the ANC a spectacular beating at the polls. The fact that a relatively smooth transition towards a government of national unity (GNU) has taken place, is a welcome sign that South Africa’s democracy is functioning comparatively well in an increasingly authoritarian world.
However, barely a hundred days into the GNU era, a complex new reality is dawning on us. While weakened, the ANC has not actually lost power – it has, in essence, brilliantly adapted to the new arithmetic reality of the election outcome, by handing out a few slices of power to its GNU partners, while keeping much of the essential bits of government to itself. Ironically, the ANC may yet even benefit from having outsourced some of the most damaged departments such as Home Affairs or Basic Education, perhaps calculating that successes in these areas will have a beneficial spillover effect, while failure could just as easily be exploited in its own favour. A cynical view could be that the ANC has essentially neutered the main democratic opposition, and that it expects to act much as it has in the past and pretend to itself that nothing of much significance happened. In fact, it already seems to be the case.
The results are predictable. While concerned citizens cling on to a few rays of hope, the daily newsfeed remains depressing. Corruption is continuing unabated and unpunished. Our major cities, including Johannesburg, Durban and Gqeberha, are being left to rot, and major parts of Gauteng are on the verge of running out of water. Crime is soaring, with a wave of kidnappings, mass shootings becoming ever more common and extortion gangs terrorising people in the townships. And if anyone still had any illusions that the 2024 elections would usher in a new era of accountability, the decision by the NPA to not pursue any charges in the Phala-Phala matter, and the lack of action against Justice minister Thembi Simelane, should be sobering.
A time to engage
What is to be done? Now more than ever, it is time for citizens to engage and call for better governance. Now more than ever, it is time for each of us to demand accountability from elected officials and politicians. In response, The United South Africa Movement (TUSAM), a civil society movement founded in 2021 has, following wide ranging consultations, developed a Charter of Resolutions, and a Charter of Citizens’ Obligations, calling for government to be held to account and for citizens to engage.
TUSAM’s Charters are the outcome of months of engagement with South Africans from all walks of life, before and after the 2024 elections. They are, in spirit and purpose, directly inspired by the Freedom Charter of 1955, a seminal document which still resonates in our country (and beyond) as one of the most inspiring and compelling social contracts. TUSAM’s aim is to hold government accountable, but also to ensure that citizens play their part in co-building the future.
The Charter of Resolutions, in part, calls for:
- The right to a Clean Government, including truly effective anti-corruption measures to eliminate corruption, and the strengthening of the separation of powers.
- The right to a Capable State, supported by a non-partisan professional civil service, and merit-based appointments at all levels of employment free from political interference, in all government departments including in all state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
- The reduction of Presidential Powers in the appointment of key democratic institutions, including Chapter 9 institutions and crime-fighting and intelligence agencies.
- The overhaul of our crime-fighting institutions, including the reinforcement of our crime prevention and crime intelligence capability, the devolution of policing powers and the professionalisation of our police forces, and a much deeper integration of all crime-fighting stakeholders, including government agencies, law enforcement, legal professionals and civil society.
- Economic reform, including the revival and actual implementation of our National Development Plan, and sustained focus on inclusive economic development, the development of growth sectors such as the green economy, services and technology sectors, but also traditional sectors such as agriculture to create employment.
- Education reform, including adjusting the school curriculum to new technologies, introducing specialised STEM programmes, digital teaching, and life skills, to prepare our children for tomorrow’s economic and social challenges rather than yesterday’s. We also call for the implementation of these programmes in children’s home languages where possible, whilst always prioritising inclusivity and diversity.
- Electoral Reform, including full transparency on party funding, the introduction of constituency-based elections, the increase in the number of polling stations and methods to vote for all South Africans, including those who live outside South Africa.
- Foreign Policy reform, aimed at strengthening South Africa’s role as a key regional and continental voice, building and sustaining strong relationships with all peace-loving nations, guided by the spirit and values of our constitution, including human rights.
- The promotion of social cohesion and social justice, by fostering an inclusive environment where all South Africans, regardless of background, feel a sense of belonging and ownership of the country. We call for eliminating policies that drive wedges between South African communities and for the creation of tools and policies to empower citizens to influence significant government decisions.
These demands may be evident, but also fundamental to improving our lives. However, TUSAM’s consultations with citizens also made it clearer than ever before that South Africans need to use their agency and be the actors of change they want to be, rather than simply demanding that government does its job.
We therefore also make a call to action, through our Charter of Citizens’ Obligations, to all citizens of our country, to:
- Prioritise the nation and recognise that it is imperative for citizens to prioritise the national interest over political affiliations or party allegiances.
- Get involved, by embracing full participation in every facet of democracy, including registering to vote and actively engaging in elections, knowing our political representatives, and participating in different facets of life in our neighbourhoods and communities.
- Be informed and stay informed, pledging to engage in wide-ranging reading and attentive listening to diverse sources of information.
- Act civil and remain civil, bystriving to display kindness, courtesy and respect towards each other and ourselves, wherever we are and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
- Promote civics education, by striving to endorse and advocate for education on governmental functions, systems, and collective values throughout our lives, starting at school.
- Embrace our common social and moral values and norms, but also being accepting tolerant of each other’s differences.
- Embrace compromise, by striving to settle disputes or reach agreements among each other through mutual concessions rather than coercion or by force.
South Africa can only become a more equal, prosperous and inclusive nation if all its people take part in determined efforts to strengthen our democracy. The United South Africa Movement will strive, in the next few years, to promote the values encapsulated in the Charter of Resolutions, and the Charter of Citizens’ Obligations by engaging with citizens, institutions and elected officials at every opportunity.