ALDERMAN ALLAN SAULS writes:
The 2016 local government elections are a clear indication that the South African democracy is growing and maturing. These actions by citizens is an indication of citizens participating in their country and how it should be managed on a state level.
Citizens are becoming more and more comfortable with their political party of choice and often feel free and comfortable to realign their political thinking. These are all elements of a good growing and maturing democracy.
To register as a voter and cast one’s vote on election day is good and important. Citizens are often raising issues relating to their living conditions in various ways, including writing to the media.
Most citizens often lack the knowledge on what happens during the five-year term. Some public participation is done from time to time; however, such exercises are often of a general nature, while citizens may have a specific issue or concern within a specific community.
Citizen participation is becoming a process of engagement with the various levels of government by citizens. This is often by direct engagement with the various political legislative bodies. Legislatures are to ensure citizens are enjoying a quality of life as determined by the constitution.
Developing citizen participation becomes the direct responsibility of citizens in order to strengthen democracy and accountability. It cannot be driven on a political level because it does not seek to find political alignment but rather bring a community issue to the direct attention of a legislative body.
