MMUSI MAIMANE: Election is an opportunity to change the party system
Allowing independents to work together in pursuit of shared national goals can drive reform
In the buildup to the local government elections on November 1 the question on most citizens’ minds is naturally who they should vote for. This time the answer is complicated by a big political party system that has discredited itself, with the system of state capture by political parties fully in place. This election provides us with an opportunity to change not just the colours of the governing political party, but the entire system. Here’s how.
In his 2018 book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, author Anand Giridharadas argues convincingly that once an individual or grouping is in power and on the “inside track”, they rarely seek change that would undermine their position of power. Instead, they work to keep self-serving systems in place, using power and devious public persuasion tactics. There is little incentive to change anything, even when a system is dysfunctional...
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