LETTER: November polls an exercise in futility

In an environment of renewed economically damaging load-shedding, daily revelations of past and present corruption and incompetence from within the ANC’s ranks, disturbing developments surrounding our once highly respected judiciary, confusion about the competence of our top cop and with our state coffers running dry, the November municipal elections are likely to be an expensive exercise in futility.

The plethora of parties and candidates will result in politically fractured municipalities with the focus on individuals jockeying for positions and compromised, ineffective or delayed decision-making.

With interparty legal challenges and against the Electoral Commission of SA, dishonesty in respect of funding disclosure, the unwise, politically motivated decision of the president to allow excessively large gatherings and the continued lack of enforcement of Covid-19 protocols at such gatherings, and with the racist EFF refusing to sign or observe a code of conduct, squabbles in the ANC around candidate lists, fake outrage at posters and DA flip-flops, interpersonal mudslinging and promises that everyone knows can only be taken with a pinch of salt, these elections are merely manifesting the chaotic state our country is in and highlighting the inability and unsustainability of our current political establishments and their representatives.

Given the fragile fractured political structures and despite public discontent and mistrust being at an all-time high, the electorate will not be able to dramatically change our political landscape and reverse our country’s failing trajectory. We can only rely on a civil society rebellion orchestrated by a united team of competent civil, business, religious and other leaders who have the country’s interests at heart and not their own self serving ambitions.

David Gant, Kenilworth

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