Our democracy is either stunted or shrinking, why?
Michael Dingake | Tuesday April 12, 2016 12:10
Botswana was among the three countries to adopt multiparty democracy when she attained political independence; she did so when the majority of the newly independent African states swore by one-party or no-party ‘democracy.’
Our independence is written in large golden letters of a ‘shining example’ of democracy. But are we a democracy, let alone a shining one?
Democracy doesn’t begin and end in regular five-yearly general elections. Our founding fathers taught us that democracy is like a sapling which must be cared for: it must be watered and tended to in various ways to become a beautiful leafy tree, under whose shade we can repose and enjoy protection from the sun.
Our country has inspired most African countries to walk the multiparty route, if only in theory. Multiparty democracy reinforced our culture of consultation and mutual tolerance. In multi-party democracy, we intended to listen to all voices, discordant or otherwise, to see both sides of issues.
Had the country not done so, we’d be vying with the dregs of continental leadership promoting, tribal wars and turning a blind eye to xenophobia. Ring-fenced by racists, we told the world jaw-jaw is better than war-war. The philosophy won us admirers and friends. So far so good. Unfortunately our democracy basically stops at the stage of regular five-yearly democratic elections.
Had we adopted instruments in the form of the ‘Chapter Nine State Institutions supporting constitutional democracy’, we’d be still the front runners in the democratic race. As it is, we have been relegated and overtaken by late starters in the marathon we run for posterity. Where our president is palpably above the constitution, in the Republic of South Africa the president can be made to toe the line by the Public Protector, the counterpart of our Office of the Ombudsman. Where our Ombudsman, or is it woman, is shy to exercise the independence of the office the aggrieved public has to run to the courts which due to our weak constitution is always absolved of any allegations of wrongdoing.
The long and short of it, is that multiparty democracy works in South Africa. We can’t say the same of our Botswana, As we approach the 50th landmark of our independence, we must ask ourselves the question what are we celebrating, exactly? A thousand times enlarged gross domestic product (GDP),an impressive largesse we have failed to distribute equitably? An above 20 percent unemployment rate affecting our youth, inexorably driving them into delinquency and criminality? Are we celebrating undiminished poverty manifested in the majority of our villagers? Are we to celebrate the rich getting richer while the poor are getting poorer? A dwindling percentage of women representatives in parliament, while we sing women empowerment and gender equality in baritone? How long will Botswana trade unions be on a merry-go-round collective bargaining council, that plays infantile games with the working population? Our Parliament continues to moan and groan under the whiplash of the omnipotent Executive, how long? Shall Parliament ever taste the cream of independence granted in theory by the constitution? The Judiciary is subtly, but systematically pushed to comply willy-nilly with the all-powerful Executive that appoints judges unilaterally, suspends and dispenses with those within the Judiciary who attempt to exercise the independence prescribed by the constitution; is this what has to be? How are the checks and balances meant to make democracy hum, to be achieved? Our national development programmes and projects bring no relief but pains of cost overruns and non-delivery; shall we ever learn that to reduce or eradicate poverty we must create sustainable employment not Ipelegeng or blanket distribution or other charitable gestures which does harm by instilling dependency syndrome. Shall we listen to the demand by Batswana to synchronise education with pertinent skills for the world of work and entrepreneurship? Corruption.
One of the instruments to fight corruption, is to pass the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities legislation; twenty years in the pipeline and on the floor of Parliament, what’s up? Twenty years back, Vision 2016 was conceived. Did it suffer miscarriage or abortion? We must know! It should be a tragedy to be mourned, not to celebrated! Breathtaking events are taking place in the RSA.
President Zuma has been found to have violated the constitution by the ConCourt by failing to implement the Public Protector’s order to pay for upgrades that benefited him personally at his private home; opposition political parties are up in arms, they sense a whiff of regime change; the Christian churches under the SACC have found an opportunity to nudge the state party up the moral high ground – regime change is not in their lexicon nor their area of operation; the ANC and the whole Tripartite Alliance is shaken and feverishly trying to find its feet in the developments; according to reports the Guptas have fled the Guptagate scandal they inaugurated.
What will happen in the end? Nobody knows. What I know is RSA will take a big stride into the future because South Africans are energetic and love political action.
The democratic process is alive and ticking in Can we say the same in our little corner? It’s never too late to turn a new leaf. Instead of celebrating stagnation or shrinkage of our independence dreams, let’s plan ahead for real celebration in the future!