With only 8 days to go to Election Day, it is important that supporters of change in South Africa do not lose hope. There is no doubt that the dubious decision of the NPA to withdraw the charges against Jacob Zuma has led to despondency among some opposition supporters. The idea that the political game in this country is effectively rigged in the ANC’s favour and voting is just a waste of time is very dangerous and must be challenged. Helen Zille, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, did just that this week in a brilliant speech explaining clearly what is at stake in this election and why every vote counts. (PoliticsWeb: Zille calls on voters to help stop Zuma)
First and foremost it is imperative that we stop the ANC from getting a two-thirds majority. The latest polls show that the ANC is hovering around this mark. Jacob Zuma has made it patently clear that his election goal is total control of South Africa. He told supporters this week at a rally in KwaZulu-Natal that ‘it will be easy for the ANC to take decisions and deliver if it had a massive majority in government.’ What else significant but to change the constitution would the ANC need a super majority for?
The ANC in general and Jacob Zuma in particular seem to have little patience even for the trappings of a functioning democracy with minimal checks and balances (though they do like large cheques and big personal bank account balances). Their policy of cadre deployment defecates on the age old principle of separation of powers. With a two-thirds majority in hand is there any reason to think that more overt and damaging measures will not be taken to weaken the independence of the judiciary and silence their critics in the press?
Perhaps even more importantly, the ANC already has plans to emasculate local government through a constitutional amendment to entrench its power, as Zille points out. Unbeknown to most South African, the DA in particular, but other opposition parties as well, have made significant inroads into ANC support at the local level. The abhorrent level of service delivery has created massive unhappiness especially among poorer communities. The ANC knows that strong municipal councils provide the only real threat to their almost total political control. Stopping Jacob Zuma and his ANC from getting the two-thirds they want to be able strip local communities of their power is crucial to keep any hope of a significant political opposition alive in South Africa.
More than just preventing the ANC from having absolute control, this election is also creating an alternative. Polls show that the DA is set to win the Western Cape. Unless COPE performs a miracle in perhaps the Eastern and Northern Cape, this would mean that this will be the only province not controlled by the ANC. Giving the DA a majority in the Western Cape would provide the first real provincial level opportunity for the party to show South Africans how it can govern.
We have seen in just a short time the amazing results Helen Zille has produced in Cape Town. Service delivery is up; corruption and crime are down and I have no doubt increased sustainable growth and economic development for all will follow in its wake.
Given the substantial authority that provinces possess in terms of the constitution, a DA run Western Cape administration would be able to augment these gains in the entire province. When South Africans begin to see the benefits both social and economic of living in a province that is governed on the basis of an open opportunity society for all rather than the ANC’s closed corrupt society for a few, old political loyalties will surely begin to crumble. If the DA wins, the Western Cape will be the epicentre of the change South Africa so badly needs.
So what can you do?
- Vote for the DA on April 22.
- Explain to everyone you know what is at stake and encourage them to vote for the DA or at least another opposition party (here's one to consider). The most effective political campaigning is done around the water cooler!
- Help with the logistical or financial support by joining http://contributetochange.org.za
Winning elections are ultimately about getting out the vote.
And most importantly don’t lose hope!
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