Time to allow voters to pick own MPs, not rotten apples on party lists

GEORGE Devenish is right that the South African electoral system is in need of urgent change. Too many voters – young voters in particular – are not appreciative of how the universal franchise came into being.

It was bought very dearly. To know that, one has to know one’s history. Not knowing it is part of the problem keeping South Africa’s young people from registering as voters in the first place and inclining many of them not to vote in the second place.

That is not all there is to it. The real problem lies with the Closed List PR system. It is really very good for creating a government of the party, by the party for the party, but it doesn’t work for all of us. It is beloved by the ANC, for obvious reasons. Its other strongest adherents are those seeking to benefit materially from a close association with a party in power. Its relevance for the people of South Africa is, therefore, very minimal.

As a result of South Africa continuing with the Closed List PR System, which was meant to be used only in 1994, voters are misled into believing that the election is about voting for a president.

It isn’t that at all. It should have been manifestly about electing capable and honest MPs and MPLs. This isn’t happening.

No wonder so many rotten apples lie at the top of the ANC list. These rotten apples are getting a free ride and are avoiding punishment for their roles in wide-scale corruption and principal role in state capture.

Cope has long contended that the electoral system has to be reformed to reclaim our democracy and genuinely establish the prevalence of the rule of law.

If the election had been about voters having a direct role in electing the president; and separately electing MPs and MPLs in an Open List PR System, a popular president will be elected independently of the rotten apples. The rotten apples, in turn, would have been picked out for dumping because voters would have had a direct say in organising the list as they wanted.

The need to reform the electoral system is indeed urgent.

I urge voters to recognise that the Closed List PR System has reached a cul-de-sac. They should support Cope in turning its back on this system as so many are doing and shunning the elections. We need an open list system so that our elections are made more attractive and meaningful. If we don’t act now, our democracy will be endangered.

FAROUK CASSIM | COPE Century View