STEVEN FRIEDMAN: Ramaphosa’s ANC chases votes with undemocratic bill
Chiefs will reap the benefits of getting millions of people in rural areas to toe the line
03 July 2019 - 05:06
The ANC Cyril Ramaphosa leads has achieved something Jacob Zuma’s ANC could not — it has passed a law that denies millions in “traditional” areas their democratic rights.
For almost a decade, beginning in 2008, Zuma’s ANC tried to pass the Traditional Courts Bill through parliament. The bill aimed to strengthen the powers of traditional leaders by forcing up to 17-million people in areas declared “ethnic homelands” by apartheid to appear before traditional courts. It was resisted by activists and many in the ANC because it would force rural people to accept chiefs’ authority...
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