Entry bar into SA public office too low
In reference to the state of the nation address theatrics by the EFF in parliament on the February 12 2015, Professor Itumeleng Mosala made the following observations, “So, last night the events at the state of the nation looked tragic and farcical.
But they were also comical. It is or should be clear that the country has never needed leadership than at this point!
Of course we mean leaders not celebrities!”
The chaotic scenes that many of us witness on live national television at what was supposed to be an “ordinary humane” sitting of the City of Ekurhuleni metropolitan council law makers, was not only comical and tragic, but it was a display of one of the worst behaviours we have witnessed since EFF official entry into the parliamentary and councils politics.
It also shows that the standard, quality, criteria, and requirements we have set ourselves for someone to qualify as public representatives in SA, is by any standard far too low.
I am not even sure if there is any standard or bar to refer to at local, provincial, and national level.
Many of the public representatives that I have seen so far display anger issues, lack emotional intelligence, conflict management and negotiation skills.
They are often too quick to resort to disruptions of meetings/sessions and violence than resolution of disagreements and disputes as humanely as possible.
It is quite worrying that some of our public representatives who are meant to be our “law makers, defenders of the constitution and rule of law” at councils, provincial legislatures, and parliament, continue to behave in the manner they do.
And the worst thing is that these are the people who are supposed to be exemplary leaders.
In 2024, when we have so many problems, we certainly do not deserve these types of public representatives at any level, not even a kindergarten deserve these types of leadership.
We appeal to all patriotic South Africans across all political divides to unite in condemning this kind of behaviour by public representatives. Many of us are tired of these spurious points of orders and disruptions of meetings that we often see on live national television.
In my book, there is absolutely nothing robust, radical and revolutionary about this kind of behaviour, neither does this type of behaviour demonstrate any leader of society qualities nor superior logic.
We have indeed set the entry bar into public office extremely too low, we have compromised the quality required at that level for someone to become a public representative in SA.
And I know that many of these bad and angry public representatives, their supporters, and leaders; will continue to hide themselves behind Section 19(3) of the constitution of the republic.
There is nowhere in the constitution of the republic that says we must elect unruly and chaotic public representatives — they must go and reread the entire chapter of constitution on Bill of Rights to help them become better public representatives and leaders.
The chaotic scenes many of us witnessed live on national television at the Ekurhuleni council sitting, will not end any time soon as long as the quality of the vote is compromised, voters continue to support and endorse bad, disruptive, chaotic, angry and violent public representatives in SA.
Lesego Sechaba MogotsiAzapo
member in Tshwane