EDITORIAL: MPs should use pre-election break to reflect on their failures
They will strive to win as many votes for their parties but they should tackle problems in their constituencies to improve people’s lives
The National Assembly has closed down ahead of the May 8 elections, its corridors are emptied of bustling MPs and the usually rowdy chamber is silent. MPs have scattered to the far corners of the country to take up election campaigning for their respective political parties. Members of the National Council of Provinces will do likewise from Thursday. The overriding aim of the MPs will be to win as many votes for their parties as possible and in their fervour to do so will probably not think much of what their main duty should be, looking out for the best interests of the country as a whole. It’s worth remembering that when they take office, MPs swear allegiance to the constitution and vow to be faithful to the republic. It’s inevitable that supporters of a particular party believe that its policies are what is best for the country. That is after all the essential nature of politics and it is perhaps naive to expect otherwise from them. Looking back at some of the most memorable even...
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