The most recent, yet unsurprisingly embarrassing drivel from ANCYL President Julius Malema proves yet again the extent to which the ruling party has lost touch with the interests of South Africans.
Apart from the veiled attacks at the Zuma-Gupta connection and the typical rants about nepotism and nationalisation, Malema demonstrated just how little he actually understands the idea of constituency-based representation.
TimesLive provides this pearl of wisdom from Malema as he delivered the Youth League's message of support at the ANC's Local Government Election Manifesto launch in Rustenburg:
"Whether you like the face or not (of the councillor)... as long as next to that face is the emblem of the ANC, you must vote for that face," he said. "We are failed by individuals, not by our organisation, the ANC."
The dysfunctional state of local government in ANC-controlled municipalities is rooted in exactly this naive and unfortunate belief in the infallibility and miracle working powers of the ANC 'brand'.
Constituency-based representation, as is the case at the local government level where South Africans are afforded the opportunity to vote for individual candidates, is premised on the idea that such a direct link between voter and representative provides greater legitimacy, credibility, accessibility and responsiveness.
The emblem of the ANC won't go out of its way to give a voice to the constituents of a ward, it won't attend council meetings, and the mere emblem of the ANC says nothing about the credibility and trustworthiness of a particular candidate.
If you don't like the face, if you don't trust it, or if you don't know it, you are entitled to, in fact encouraged, to not vote for it regardless of which emblem supports it.
Indeed, the emblem entitles thousands of individuals a free ride into the extended public patronage network that has crippled effective service delivery and meaningful representation and participation in the affairs of our communities.
For this very reason we see ANC members protest against candidate nomination procedures, because at the end of the day someone is bound to be left out in the cold.
If the ANC was serious about the interests, needs and future of South Africans and our local communities, it would nominate credible, dedicated and hard-working individuals with a track record of community involvement.
Local government should be about local issues! Neither the ANC's emblem, or its machinery in Luthuli House, can claim the miracle working powers of solving community issues and providing our citizens with the voice - and hands - in local councils.
South Africans should start taking their vote seriously, and realise that no party emblem, particularly at this local level of government, has near-messianic powers.
It's the candidate, stupid!
The emblem of the ANC won't go out of its way to give a voice to the constituents of a ward, it won't attend council meetings, and the mere emblem of the ANC says nothing about the credibility and trustworthiness of a particular candidate.
If you don't like the face, if you don't trust it, or if you don't know it, you are entitled to, in fact encouraged, to not vote for it regardless of which emblem supports it.
Indeed, the emblem entitles thousands of individuals a free ride into the extended public patronage network that has crippled effective service delivery and meaningful representation and participation in the affairs of our communities.
For this very reason we see ANC members protest against candidate nomination procedures, because at the end of the day someone is bound to be left out in the cold.
If the ANC was serious about the interests, needs and future of South Africans and our local communities, it would nominate credible, dedicated and hard-working individuals with a track record of community involvement.
Local government should be about local issues! Neither the ANC's emblem, or its machinery in Luthuli House, can claim the miracle working powers of solving community issues and providing our citizens with the voice - and hands - in local councils.
South Africans should start taking their vote seriously, and realise that no party emblem, particularly at this local level of government, has near-messianic powers.
It's the candidate, stupid!
No comments:
Post a Comment