Democracy is a process, not an event

THE year 1994 ushered in democracy in South Africa when all citizens, for the first time, voted to elect a truly representative government.

This was a complete departure from the apartheid philosophy of racial segregation and domination.

I participated fully in preparations for the birth of a new and non-racial society.

At the time, I was an employee of the University of Zululand, and the Durban Provincial Electoral Office had appointed me to oversee operations of the then Zululand Region.

I remember like yesterday when I addressed white learners at John Ross College in Richards Bay.

The views I shared with the then John Ross College pupils were that democracy comes with responsibility and accountability, to avoid it degenerating into chaos.

I also told the students about the importance of mutual respect, as well as respect for cultural and racial diversity.

In this interaction with the learners, I also told them their votes would be confidential, and that they could vote for a party they believed would improve the quality of life of fellow citizens.

I also shared with the students

my understanding of the democracy concept, that it assumes an open society in the sense that change and improvement may be taken for granted.

Democracy is never completed. There are no final solutions, no unquestioned answers.

Instead, democracy is characterised by a constant search or striving for improvement, a belief that it is possible to improve the quality of life for all.

As one today may mentally retravel the road that brought South Africa to where it is since the year 1994, one observes that the original values of democracy we originally had remain fully covered in our Constitution Act, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996): a common voters’ roll, citizens’ freedom to elect their public representatives, and a government of their choice.

Against this background, violence as a means of achieving one’s wishes or political ambitions simply has no room.

Violence can only breed more violence or cause havoc at schools, places of work and other institutions of society.

It failed in the past and must even today be made to fail to achieve lasting peace. Violent conflict has no place in our communities and must be condemned by all in the most possible and strongest terms.

Human disagreements and conflicts need to be resolved only through negotiation and dialogue.

This is how the country dealt with the most violent conflict we experienced in the past.

*Readers who wish to join the discussion, share constructive ideas and contribute to the “roadmap to recovery” series can email their write-ups to

zulobs@zob.co.za