The founders of SA’s democratic order crafted a constitution that is apparently among the best in the world. But it has a major flaw: it concentrates far too much power in one individual. This has proven to be the country’s undoing, turning it into a banana republic of note. In drawing up the 1996 constitution, which is big on human and individual rights, the founders made the big mistake of thinking we would always have a person of integrity at the top of our republic — a person of Nelson Mandela’s integrity. It turns out the only brilliance of the constitution is its emphasis on human and individual rights. It seems nobody thought that the scum of the earth might occupy the highest office of our land. The primary school drop-out sitting as president now is the worst indictment of that apparently brilliant constitution.As such, the constitution bestowed untrammelled powers on the president. This notwithstanding the fact that to be eligible for office you merely need to be an adult ...
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