SONA 2015: Democracy declining or democracy maturing?

SONA 2015: DEMOCRACY IN ACTION OR FADING?

The Mel Gibsons, Shona Fergusons and the Bruce Willies of this world can make exceptional, adorable honorable members of parliament! On the flip side, our MPs can make awesome film actors, with Baleka Mbete as both the script director and a leading actress. Hey, is this a joke? No, we just had a glimpse of a horror movie last night, live from the National Assembly.

The 2015 State of the Nation Address was decorated by mixed festivities, of joy and sorrow with the Democratic Alliance boycotting the red carpet and arriving in 'black', the media being denied cellular signals, the Speaker Baleka Mbete failing to lead the house (seeminly reading from a well prepared script), the EFF MPs ejected from the house and some of them reportedly injured, the ANC MPs erupting into celebratory songs amid the EFF's removal , the DA MPs walking out after raising a security concern, Bantu Holomisa also following, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Thandi Modise indirectly maintaining that two wrongs can make a right and the jubilee songs and dances by the ANC MPs outside the house. These are some of the scenes seen last night, in their order.

This horrific and suicidal drama happened in clear view of millions in South Africa if not billions in the world.

Though it was what one could call a predicted chaos given what transpired in previous parliamentary seatings and of course the EFF's stern promise to disrupt the proceedings, it was clearly an unwarranted, unbridled disorder no country should experience. All being said and analyzed even in the next weeks or so the question would be asked: does this reflect a maturing democracy or democracy in decline?

It is unfortunate that a political party would aim to disrupt the parliamentary proceedings (whether with or without plausible reasons) on the other hand it is dumbfounding for another party to erupt into ululations, clapping of hands and singing instead of mourning the attack on the hard earned democracy. Mourn the fact that the armed forces were called into the national assembly, mourn that communication devices were jammed. Mourn that the chairperson of the NCOP maintained two wrongs can make a right.  What is there to celebrate with victory songs even through to the early hours of the morning? When will the ANC begin to see 'wrong' things and be concerned? No one can, in his highest or lowest form of reasoning, dispute the fact that our democracy is plunging into a defunct stage. The ANC should ask themselves a question: why is the EFF behaving like this? Why is the DA walking out?  Deal with the cause rather than the effects...this is a psychologically tested golden rule. It was embarrassing to hear some of the ANC leaders like the ever-fuming Blade Nzimamnde singing "it is democracy in action''.

I am in no way suggesting the EFF was right, no. I am saying it is the ANC who must provide reasonable, constitutional and wise solutions as a leader of this democratic government. Twisting the  rules because they are in the majority wont help this nation. Why am I saying this? We all know that there will be a litany of investigations (the culture of our government) into why was there a communication scramble (because both the presiding executives claims innocence), why the police were involved (as per the Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Gadebe admittance), and most notably the EFF's conduct. All these shall be conducted through committees wherein the ANC is predominant, and then the voting, and the courts and more tussles.

Make no mistake, no one even the ANC's know-it-all members will dare ask why didn't Mbete ask the President whether he was willing to answer EFF's questions or not.They will also not ask why there was a jamming of communication devices. Neither will they ask why the police were ordered in. Remeber, these are the MPs whom when the journalists chanted 'Bring back the signal', they sang back 'ANC, ANC'. They saw nothing wrong with the signals being cut, this is the type of democracy they ''see being put into action''. And what will they do? They will slam the EFF and the DA on every micophoned platform (free marketing). And then they will oppose every motion put by the opposition parties, defense tactics and then voting. Zuma already told the media that the 'EFF had an agenda'' to disrupt the parliament, but even a pre-school child knew this! Why cant someone in the ANC thinking camp say "Stop, lets find out why such a dark cloud of discontentment, why has the national assembly become a war zone. Cant we stop using the majority and our powerful position and get down and for a moment LISTEN?  Why cant we view the oppositions as exactly that, oppositions to enact democracy, and not as nemesis?"

The ANC seems to ignore the most pivotal point of order: the majority of the citizens of this country are deeply concerned and want answers...most of them are much wiser and know even better. The majority of the citizens are not interested in politicking and point scoring and endless spinning of issues, no, they are interested in seeing the country being really moved forward, as a real good story to tell and not just a phrase to doll up the president's speech.  The majority of the citizens know that 'evil is evil and good is good', they cant be made to believe otherwise. They are not the politicians and are not interested in becoming presidents. The journalists in the media bay proved these by raising the first point of order, bravo comrades! Although it is unacceptable for journalists to draw attention to themselves, this situation was unbearable and demanded immediate attention otherwise their being there would be nullified.

It is unfortunate that the country would be divided over these issues: Some will see democracy in action while some will mourn the fading of it. 

An irresponsible millionaire stops thinking of how to make more money the moment he realizes he is rich, in the same way a politician or a political party with endless defense mechanisms, banking on its voting powers has the propensity of losing its intellectual powers.  It is the political intelligence and not the majority which makes a formidable political organization.

DID THE TRC WORK?

DID THE TRC DID NOT WORK?


Silence does not always suggests all is well. There are issues in South Africa that the citizens must cofront in order to do away with them. If a simple race tweet by Zelda La Grange, former personal assistant to Nelson Mandela, would ignite such a spark, then there are covered wounds if not discussed and resolved, would set the country on racial fire. La Grange has since apologised.

It is irrefutable that any issue pointing to racial imbalance, inequality, previledges and many more, always opens up wounds. It sparks racial divisions, some pro some against. This is South Africa some see blue as blue while some insist it is grey...everyone says they are right. There is a deep fear, fear of insulting the other race. The dawn of democracy which got its first root in 1994 brought with it wise initiatives like the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission (TRC). The TRC was envisaged to spear head 'national reconcilliation' which would ultemately bring national peace. But the TRC dealt with people called the 'victims of apartheid', that is only those who had physical scars of apartheid tortures. Thus the TRC, albeit seen as a national endevour, dealt with or benefited the few (numbered) and as a matter of fact the majority of apartheid victims where never impacted. What the TRC missed was the fact that all black South Africans (I am using the word 'black' for purposes of clearity, otherwise I hate using it or being referred to as such...it is demonic). The tears Desmond Tutu shed were not representative of everyone rather it depicted the pain everyone was going through... a crying nation, a deeply wounded people. 

If you have watched Leon Schuster's comedy Panic Mechanic you will remember a scene where a white man, busy shouting at his black worker heard over the radio news of Mandela's release. The man immediately huged the worker and called him 'my brother'. He then in a twist of normal routine moved him from the back of the bakkie to the front. Apparently the worker, although he was listerning to the same radio, he did not hear what was announced...only got excited seing a changed boss. Mandela was released and this, to the white boss, only meant changing the way he treated his worker rather than apologizing for all the abuses he inflicted him. "You no longer sit at the back of the bakkie, so what more do you want"?, My emphasis. The TRC was just like that, covering the wounds for that moment and period and now it is clear that reconcilliation with no contrite hearts is factitiousness. Anyway who initiated the TRC? 

That being said, if this country must progress in harmony then there must be an emotional platform from both the left and the right. You would be unrealistic to think that La Grange's opinions are not shared by many white South Africans. This means they also have that deep fear...positive or not, acceptable or not. Some speak their fears while others speak their tears. Both races, we grew up under different circumstances, the evil apartheid which stole the cofidence of an African and the lucre which fortified white dominance. Africans are striving to reclaim their identity while whites are fighting to presrve the status quo. Both have  recondite concerns. I am not ignorant of the truth that not all white Sout Africans embraced apartheid and I am equally not ignorant that some changed tunes a few seconds before the democratic government.

Significant, demonstrable and yet ignored issues like difference salary scale between races, why Afrikaans topples other indeginous languages especially in government services forms and in schools for example, seem to be far fetched but these trouble the millions of South Africans. Today, after twenty years of democracy there is still no trust between the major races in South Africa. If you despute this you may as well deny your name or even fight the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi when saying all the schools in South Africa belong to all South Africans.

In my language Sepedi we say, ''ngwana o a sa lleng o hwela tharing'' meaning if you cant speak out what troubles you, you will suffer consequences.

So, when someone speaks out lets not meet them with rage (I know South Africans are relatively angry, tempers always high and somehow its justifiable). But we are not doing us any favour by sanctioning people who want to use the platform to shed their tears or say their fears. They are simply protesting "Let us talk". 

The question is, if the TRC achieved its mendate then why these social malady? The TRC worked to cover the wounds and to accomplish the smooth transition but those wounds are showing up now and we cant run away. South Africa needs another platform.DID THE TRC WORK?