People don’t have power

POWER to the people, the slogan epitomising the core of the democratic creed, has not been very well exemplified in the past year.

President Jacob Zuma has faced booing and increased vocal opposition, even within his own party.

Calls for him to step down or be replaced, based on serious accusations of corruption, grow more comprehensive by the day. They are ignored or laughed off. The prime source of division in his party, he absurdly calls for party unity.

He clings to his status as party president, ignoring his manifest unpopularity outside his power base.

A pseudo democratic assurance came from the parliamentary speaker that ANC MPs know how to vote in a no-confidence motion.

In the UK the Brexit referendum led to the thenprime minister resigning and vicious wrangling in the ruling party from which Theresa May emerged victorious.

Although the subsequent elections did not give her a clear mandate, but an embarrassing setback of a reduced majority, she refused to resign.

In America the arrogant overreaching President Donald Trump continues to ride roughshod over the constitutional safeguards against tyranny, making him an embarrassment to the ideals of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.