EDITOR – Election time is like the Olympics that we experience every four years and with it comes a whole lot of political drama.
In the South African setting we have some dastardly ways of expressing our disdain for candidate councillors who decide to stand for election or mostly cadre nominated by the respective political formations. Councillors who are not the flavour of the month have their houses burnt and in some unfortunate cases lose their lives. This reflects badly on the image of our revered Constitutional Democracy and for the world watching in absolute confusion.
Given this time and 22 years into our democracy not a day goes by when some or other political leader proudly mentions that we have a ” Constitutional Democracy” but they fail to unpack the conceptuality of what responsibilities and values are embraced in being a Constitutional Democracy. For the man on the street it’s meaningless and therefore the need to give definition to this political concept.
The generally and universally accepted definition is “Constitutional Democracy is a system of government in which the limits of political authority are clearly stated and the electorate has the power to remove poor performing governments.”
The power of the state is divided between three different but interdependent arms, the executive (cabinet), the legislature (parliament) and the judiciary (courts of law). Because of our unique history and to prevent a repetition of the past where the majority of our people were denied basic human rights, the Constitution provided for a Bill of Rights which now forms the cornerstone of our democracy. This Bill of Rights places an obligation on the state to respect, protect promote and fulfil these rights.
It has become abundantly clear during the election run that politicians have lost focus and transgress these very rights that they fought for with their lives during the dark days of Apartheid.
Sicario
Durban
Letter shortened – Editor
