Should Jacob Zuma continue to resist his recall, there is the possibility that Parliament will remove a sitting president with the backing of the majority party. Although this would be the final chapter of a process that could at best be described as "messy" it would nonetheless represent a milestone in the maturation of SA’s democracy. The country’s constitutional framework presents us with a conundrum. Voters elect MPs to make laws and to hold the executive to account for its policies and spending plans. But they do so by voting for the party of their choice, which then allocates MPs to Parliament based on a list formulated by party structures and controlled by party headquarters. To get on to the list in the first place does not require popularity or a record of service to a constituency, but rather to be in good standing in the party, particularly with the provincial strongmen. The constitutional mandate for MPs is unambiguous: "The National Assembly is elected to represent the ...
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