Elections should yield a breath of fresh air

SINCE a miniscule Covid bug locked down the pages of my passport, I have been yearning to visit my cultural home, Chennai. God willing, I hope to go again soon.

On each visit, I have spent some time in Besant Nagar, a posh neighbourhood named after the noted theosophist Annie Besant. My younger son lived in this garden suburb for many years.

Calm and serene Besant Nagar where Chennai likes to chill, is much favoured by affluent families who have sea-facing homes. There are bustling restaurants, cafes, shops and boutiques in the Elliott’s Beach area.

Besant Nagar is also home to Kalakshetra, the world-famous dance and music school, along with beautiful temples such as Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, dedicated to the eight avatars of Goddess Lakshmi; and old churches such as the shrine to the Virgin Mary at Annai Vailankanni.

The one thing I dread about visiting Besant Nagar, Adayar and other places further south, is having to cross the notorious Cooum River, the city’s smelly eyesore.

The river is highly polluted in the urban area, where it receives untreated sewage, industrial effluents and solid waste from various sources, which it dumps in the Bay of Bengal.

No matter how tightly the car windows are rolled up, the stench still gets in. Hence, a ritual my wife makes sure to perform before we head in the direction of the Cuoom is to dab some strong perfume on the pallu (loose end of the sari). As we approach the bridge over the river, like really spoilt tourists we take turns sniffing the fragrance to block out the stink.

I must point out that despite India sharing the woody fragrance of sandalwood with the world, most cities on the subcontinent have certain areas – especially near slums – that smell really bad because of poor sewer systems and pollution of rivers.

I make mention of unpleasant smells because I am reminded of the many South Africans I have come across over the years who returned from touring India and vowed never to go back. When I asked what they disliked about India, the sharp response would be: “It’s just too smelly and crowded.”

How I wish I told them that they should look for the pong in their own backyard first before writing off the whole of India just because some small parts have a bad odour.

What do these people say about the stench – the smelly kind as well as the state of the nation – that is sweeping across South Africa?

What about South Africa now being “crowded” and infrastructure such as housing, water and sanitation coming under pressure from the 15 million or more illegal immigrants who have taken the migration route from the Horn of Africa to South Africa, to escape ethnic tensions, political persecution, poverty and environmental disasters?

The bridges across Durban’s uMngeni River now smell as bad as the Cuoom. The N2 between Spaghetti Junction and uMhlanga is a reeking corridor. As you enter the once unsullied suburb of Westville from The Pavilion shopping centre, you are greeted by the stink of revolting overflowing sewage. Unpleasant odours hang thickly over informal settlements throughout the country because of waste disposal challenges.

According to reports, about half of all wastewater treatment works in South Africa fail to treat sewage properly. Over 90% of the nation’s 824 treatment plants discharge untreated or partially treated sewage into our limited water resources.

The other stench that is not linked to pollution is the breakdown in the rule of law.

Too many government agencies and private entities are not accountable under the law. Are politicians and government officials held accountable for corruption? Do people face legal consequences for wrongdoing regardless of their wealth or status?

The processes by which the law is adopted, administered, adjudicated and enforced are supposed to be accessible, fair and efficient. But are they?

Justice is supposed to be delivered timely by competent, ethical and independent representatives who have adequate resources.

Sadly, the key role players in state capture have evaded justice for many years and may never don the orange overalls of prison.

When the City of Cape Town pursued stricter enforcement of national traffic laws and impounded taxis for legal and road safety infractions in August, taxi drivers went on strike for more than a week, blocked roads and violently attacked motorists, public bus operators and police officers.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga called for the City of Cape Town to release all impounded minibus taxis and accused the implementation of city by-laws as being responsible for inciting the strike. What about the rule of law which would appear to be hanging by a thread?

Where is the rule of law when in all our towns and cities, thousands of errant drivers speed with impunity through intersections against the red light, putting the lives of motorists and passengers at risk?

Where are the traffic officers who should be writing out tickets for skipping a red light?

The country faces mounting socio-economic challenges – high unemployment, an energy crisis, water scarcity, high crimes levels, widespread corruption and non-delivery of basic services by most municipalities. There is a general deterioration in local governance across the country. In the financial year 2022/2023, R30 billion in irregular expenditure was incurred by local government.

The 2024 national elections will be crucial. There will be an increase in the symbols of opposition parties on ballot papers.

Already political parties are mushrooming – with the over-ambitious leader being the only member.

Over 200 political parties are expected to contest in the 2024 elections – well above the 48 political parties that contested in 2019.

But this increase in political parties is only likely to be met by decreasing partisanship and voter turnout.

South Africans are tired of empty promises and millions will refuse to vote, as was the case in the 2021 local government elections with a turnout of just under half of registered voters.

Voter turnout is a crucial barometer of the vitality and health of a democracy. Those who do not vote are generally dissatisfied with the political party that they had previously voted for. In this case, one would expect dissatisfied voters to alternatively vote for opposition parties.

However, the reduced voter turnout in 2021 indicates that the electorate has not yet identified a viable alternative to the ANC which is mired in corruption and poor governance. The DA is seen to be too white – and cannot be trusted. The EFF is seen to be a bully – and cannot be trusted.

The IFP’s support base may grow slightly, especially in KwaZulu-Natal because of sympathy votes following the recent death of its founder, Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

With its dismal track record, the ANC can forget about winning the hearts and minds of the majority of voters. In three decades of rule, it failed to deliver the promised jobs and houses.

Too many ANC leaders have appeared in the accused’s box in court. It is too late to promise changes. A leopard doesn’t change its spots – not even if it is from Phala Phala Wildlife Farm.

Thus, political incumbents within opposition political parties, and not the parties themselves, will be seen as credible alternatives to the ANC.

Better still, South Africans can now vote for independent candidates. This sets the stage for a more vibrant and participatory democracy.

Let’s look forward to honest men and women with moral fibre and the brightest minds, stepping up to the plate to tackle the challenges and add value to the rich fabric of our beloved country.

This will be a breath of fresh, fragrant air.