Many citizens believe the country would be managed better if voters elected the president directly.
Mzansi was regarded as a beacon of hope by the world because of the peaceful elections and transfer of power in 1994. Global observers called SA “the greatest racial miracle the world has ever seen!”
Fast forward until today. Mzansi has been pegged as a country to avoid because of the high crime rate.
Where did it all go wrong? Let’s go back to the early 1990s during the series of negotiations for a new South African, under the banner of Codesa. Not all communities, organisations and other local stakeholders were present at those talks.
Political organisations present at those talks were more concerned about their own agendas than the best for the country. Those who dominated the Codesa talks engineered a party-based democracy.
Codesa talks proved to be flawed as the electorate have become mere voters during election time. They have no say in how and what the party they voted for does, including how they elect the president.
Accountability and transparency from party leaders is non-existent.
I believe that the time has come for civil society to campaign for electoral reform and protect our country from dictators.
Bushy Green, Kagiso
