Nkosikhulule Nyembezi
CAPE TOWN - If a venomous spider was hurtling towards a toddler in the middle of the room, no one within reach would take merely one step to get that child out of the way.
They would dart, at speeds previously unknown to them, using every muscle in their body, to get that toddler to safety.
On the coalition talks to constitute over 66 hung municipalities across the country and strengthen our multiparty democracy, a spider is careering towards us and — as leaders in various sectors of our society — we have still not flexed all our muscle power to get ourselves to safety.
Instead, we allow politicians to reduce the coalition talks to a private dialogue full of disclaimers and political distancing by potential coalition partners.
Take the example of the DA’s refusal to subscribe to a coalition deal putting ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba as mayoral candidate for the City of Joburg, widely seen as a win-win outcome. Such negative developments beg a question: what is really at play in coalition talks?
Narrow political party interests continue to rise. The long-term loss of confidence and damage to our democracy is devastating. Trust bestowed in the polls has been breached. There is warranted frustration, anger, and incredulity at the pace of progress in the coalition talks in the face of pressing challenges to collectively overcome poverty, unemployment, and widening inequality in our society.
As activists of all stripes (such as national leaders in civil society, business and government) remind us, South Africans need bold leadership to champion transformational change, not reformist change. And they are absolutely right.
That realisation alone should touch the conscience of all leaders in the country, especially those directly involved in the coalition talks to strengthen multiparty democracy.
We must ask whether — by doing so little to publicly nudge politicians to put people above their narrow political interests — we have not erred and strayed from the constitutional values we must promote.
Are we not casting an image of a governor from the ancient Roman state by not acting boldly when we see that national interests can prevail, nothing sensible in these negotiations, but that selfish politicians are rather making a tumult through parading personal egos and vendettas?
Have we thus not taken water, and washed our hands before the multitude, saying: we are innocent, whichever cunning political bully can see to the outcome?
Do we not care that selfish politicians have followed too much the devices and desires of their hearts?
They have offended against laws of the land? They have left undone those things which they ought to have done; and they have done those things which they ought not to have done; and there is nothing good in their divisive political conduct?
As a former civil society convenor at the National Anti-Corruption Forum, and a former Community Constituency representative at Nedlac, I am taken aback by the lack of leadership voices across sectors of the society nudging politicians to get their house in order when in times past such voices would have spoken reconciliation, patriotism, and moral regeneration.
Those of us involved in mediating and advising in the current coalition government talks feel the need for constructive input to the process by prominent social partner leaders, not only politicians.
At the same time, we should understand our double predicament.
First, as South Africans we are amid a transformational change to produce a paradigm shift towards responsive, caring, transparent, and accountable government.
And it is precisely the transformational nature of the change that slows the pace of deepening our multiparty democracy for now — until we hit positive tipping points.
If we only had to transform just one municipality, or move just one sphere of government off the trappings of corrupt and self-serving politicians, we would have done so long ago. But that is not what it takes.
All sectors of our society have to be decolonised and democratised, even the hard-to-abate ones, and all must act together towards building responsive, caring, transparent, and accountable government.
This transformation is a deliberate metamorphosis that is as complex and far-reaching as it has always been in our Struggle for freedom.
Second, just as the transformation gathers pace moving from gradual to exponential, the window within which we need to achieve it constantly shrinks.
This occurs in an environment of worrying low voter turnout across age groups also prompted by the shocking escalation over the years of the negative impact of dysfunctional government felt by the most vulnerable.
It is also the road to a new political landscape where at least five of the nine provinces will be under coalition governments. The final decision reflects the intention to keep multiparty democracy not just alive, but front and centre of our efforts.
It is as though the spider suddenly accelerated as we were approaching the toddler. And yet none of the above can keep politicians and all of us from doing what needs to be done — the consequences are simply too dire.
The election results had to reset the pace of transformation to be commensurate with the increasing urgency we face, as we redouble efforts to better the lives of all through choices we make during elections and in between elections.
And it is challenging for selfish politicians looking to grab power just to increase their fortunes.
Diametrically opposed interests are exposed. Pressure inside the coalition negotiating rooms remains intense. Common ground appears elusive. Compromise has always been inevitable. And still, the election results have increased the speed of action on several fronts. It is the voice and actions of strong leadership that must take us forward.
The success of the transformation as shaped by these election results lies in the eyes of the beholder. We are justified in adding our voice to say that politicians continue to irresponsibly spin the political wheels. However, as the constitutional deadline to constitute municipal councils looms large, the question remains, will we end up stung by the spider, or will the added speed of action deliver us to safety? The answer to that is up to all of us, and will come about when we assume collective leadership, instead of unjustly dipping our hands in a washbasin.
Nyembezi is a policy analyst and human rights activist
Cape Times