• Thabile Mange writes:
Is our democracy growing or diminishing? I’m asking because our political parties no longer care (if they ever did) about the voters but only their selfish goals. They also don’t care about the poverty situation confronting the poor masses but about access to state resources. Whatever happened to serving the nation?
But I digress. South Africa is a multiparty democracy. Therefore, it has many political parties, but three dominate i.e. the ANC, DA and EFF. The new kid on the block ActionSA under Herman Mashaba’s leadership, is also making its presence felt. However, it is yet to contest the general elections.
Political parties with struggle credentials have been reduced to small parties. I am referring to the PAC and Azapo. No offence intended. However, they are now working together and engaged in a renewal programme. I hope the renewal programme will succeed so that they can have many representatives in parliament. We need their voice.
One of the general concerns is that South Africa has too many political parties. And that most of these parties don’t add value to our political discourse. Most democracies have two to three political parties. This makes it easier for voters to decide which party to vote for. Should South Africa go the same route? There is no easy answer.
That said, it seems things have changed regarding small political parties’ role in our country. They are now playing a significant role. In the coalition governments they have become king-makers. Interestingly, they get small votes yet they determine which political party gets into power.
In parliament the ATM, which has two seats, had filed a request to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the Phala Phala saga. The matter is receiving maximum attention. This is unprecedented.
Parliament has appointed two former judges and an academic, Professor Richard Calland – opposition parties are opposed to his inclusion – to determine if Ramaphosa has violated the oath he has taken to uphold the law. The ATM has added other charges against the president.
The phenomenon of coalitions in the local government has given small parties a sense of purpose. In parliament, their voice is now heard. The case of ATM is a classic example. Small parties are now playing a significant role in our politics. They are no longer just adding numbers.
