Chance to get change you want
‘EVERY nation gets the government it deserves.” This quote has been used in various formulations and attributed to different thinkers, including French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859).
At times in South Africa and many more mature democracies such as the US these words can hurt and demoralise.
To a degree, it is true voters get the leaders in government we choose or allow to emerge. We may not do this directly and deliberately but we do – at least once every five years. There is no one else to blame in a democracy for inflicting bad leaders on us.
Whenever there is unhappiness and despondency about the state of our leadership or government, it’s tempting to blame the political and electoral systems and democracy itself for throwing up inept leaders inapposite to our needs.
Some citizens also abdicate their responsibility to vote and play an active role. The reality, though, is that until the systems are changed, they are all we have. And while each voter may not always get his or her way, all are equal and can only keep trying.
The torrents of revelations about corruption, violent and senseless crime and other horrifying news of late are enough to make the average law-abiding South African abandon all hope that we can ever build a prosperous, non-racial, democratic and just nation described in our constitution.
It’s easy to start wondering if our country will ever make it out of the economic mess we are in. But at times like these it is important to remember that the rebuilding of our democratic society was always going to be a long-term project.
We have a solid foundation, put together by the founding leaders of our democracy in the 1990s in the form of our constitution and our electoral system. As imperfect as it is, our electoral system has worked well and effectively since 1994, delivering free-and-fair elections every time. It remains an important tool for shaping our future.
Democracy begins and ends with you, the voter. We, therefore, hope everyone who qualifies will use the opportunities open in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, such as this weekend’s voter registration drive, and play their part in our democracy.
The number of important decisions we can make to influence the direction of our country, province and local areas, may be limited, but the few open to us can have momentous implications. We can be the change we want to see.