Rejuvenated parliament must lead us down developmental path
SA has entered a period of renewal in its politics, with greater urgency for constructing a just society
The years that Jacob Zuma spent in high office elevated parliament to prominence. This, however, was for reasons other than robust debates over the country’s development trajectory. But the presidential era of Cyril Ramaphosa signals change on the horizon.
We have entered a period of renewal in our political life with greater urgency for constructing an equitable and just society. MPs should take the lead in charting a desirable path for the country.
In a proportional representation system such as ours, which guarantees representation for the majority and minorities alike, the National Assembly is in large part a microcosm of society.
Therein is contained the diversity and variety of perspectives, values, ideologies, aspirations and principles that characterise society. Parliament is therefore an institution wellplaced for negotiating a path for a prosperous future. This is an arduous task that MPs should not shy away from.
Recent debates demonstrate that MPs are beginning to rise to the occasion. Citizens should pay attention and mark what each party is presenting and begin to decide which proposals ring better as 2019 (elections) draw closer.
Debate on the Budget, which focused in particular on the Treasury’s decision to increase value-added tax (VAT), allowed MPs to lay bare the ideological persuasions that inform their thinking on shaping the country’s economy.
The EFF’s motion on land expropriation without compensation presented yet another such opportunity.
After the regression of the last nine years, the august house needs to inform what steps the government should take in putting the country on a more progressive and prosperous path.
There is a consensus among MPs, even from the ANC caucus, that the VAT hike is not the way to go. But the lines of justification reveal the divergence of values and interests that animate each political party.
On the whole there is a general concern about the effect that such a move would have on the poor.
There are three major diverging arguments. One is that the poor are being made to pay for the corruption, wastage and mismanagement of the last decade.
The solution is to recoup stolen money and cut government to size. This should plug the hole in the fiscus to spare the poor.
Another perspective has it that Treasury levied the wrong taxes, that corporate taxes should have been increased. A wealth tax should have been introduced to ensure that the rich share their wealth with the poor.
The third argument, as presented by Treasury, is that cutting back any further on expenditure and levying more taxes on corporates would have greater adverse effects on the poor because of the negative impact on the economy.
The ANC, which itself does not prefer the VAT option, has proposed to ameliorate the blow on the poor by expanding the list of VATexempt goods.
Land expropriation without compensation more clearly brought to the fore the deep fissures in the country. At the heart of it is what is the best path towards equitable and just society?
How do we redress the injustices of the past without jeopardising stability and the prospects for the future?
What is the just path to bringing the millions who fall out of the mainstream economy, who are subjected to the indignity of structural unemployment? And how do we narrow the income inequality gap?
The robustness of the debate that revealed the fears of the white minority while expressing the desperation of the black majority was a good start in confronting the challenge of development.
That this motion will now be subjected to a process of public consultation may just compel all sectors of society to have a discussion about the developmental path.
Parliament taking a lead on this will give substance to Ramaphosa’s call for summits to arrive at a consensus on constructing an economy that is responsive to the country’s needs, which would otherwise be no more than talk shop.