LETTER: SA needs government that is more responsive to its citizens
The sooner we accept that this country is too diverse, too distinct, to be commanded by any central government, the sooner we can change our constitution to allow for decentralisation of power
27 February 2023 - 15:20
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The current reprise by the ANC bigwigs and their well-rehearsed band of acolytes on André De Ruyter’s betrayal of their mendacious practices at Eskom is concerning, not because of the fraud this leadership spews from its pronouncements of virtuousness, but rather the expectation that this state of affairs will be tolerated by the majority, especially the middle class who have seen their wealth disappear. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who so painstakingly crafted his image as “Mr Reliable” is now seen as just another kleptocrat, just more sophisticated that the uncouth Jacob Zuma he replaced.
The danger for the governing party is not that it will lose power and all the trappings that come with it, but that it will set a precedent that will create a dysfunctional “post ANC” regime that will tear the fabric that has kept the republic together, so well fashioned by Nelson Mandela. We see that already in the Western Cape, where some are aiming for total independence from this union.
The tragedy is that the party who pulled out all the stops to consolidate total power under Luthuli House will be the party that will see the end of the republic as we know it. The reality, as that colossus of English politics Baroness Thatcher predicted in the late 1980s, is the ANC as a party is unfit to lead a country of the size and sophistication of SA.
Finally, as the Europeans have learnt from their Maastricht, it is easy to set dictates from Brussels; quite another matter to ensure the citizens across the continent benefit from these in a meaningful way. The sooner we South Africans accept that this country is too diverse, too distinct, to be commanded by any central government, the sooner we can change our constitution to allow for decentralisation of power, and by default better government that is more responsive to its citizens.
John Catsicas Via email
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: SA needs government that is more responsive to its citizens
The sooner we accept that this country is too diverse, too distinct, to be commanded by any central government, the sooner we can change our constitution to allow for decentralisation of power
The current reprise by the ANC bigwigs and their well-rehearsed band of acolytes on André De Ruyter’s betrayal of their mendacious practices at Eskom is concerning, not because of the fraud this leadership spews from its pronouncements of virtuousness, but rather the expectation that this state of affairs will be tolerated by the majority, especially the middle class who have seen their wealth disappear. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who so painstakingly crafted his image as “Mr Reliable” is now seen as just another kleptocrat, just more sophisticated that the uncouth Jacob Zuma he replaced.
The danger for the governing party is not that it will lose power and all the trappings that come with it, but that it will set a precedent that will create a dysfunctional “post ANC” regime that will tear the fabric that has kept the republic together, so well fashioned by Nelson Mandela. We see that already in the Western Cape, where some are aiming for total independence from this union.
The tragedy is that the party who pulled out all the stops to consolidate total power under Luthuli House will be the party that will see the end of the republic as we know it. The reality, as that colossus of English politics Baroness Thatcher predicted in the late 1980s, is the ANC as a party is unfit to lead a country of the size and sophistication of SA.
Finally, as the Europeans have learnt from their Maastricht, it is easy to set dictates from Brussels; quite another matter to ensure the citizens across the continent benefit from these in a meaningful way. The sooner we South Africans accept that this country is too diverse, too distinct, to be commanded by any central government, the sooner we can change our constitution to allow for decentralisation of power, and by default better government that is more responsive to its citizens.
John Catsicas
Via email
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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