‘I didn’t go to Robben Island for this nonsense’ – Cope calls for direct election of president

The Congress of the People (Cope) has reiterated its calls for a change in the electoral act to enable South Africans to directly elect the country’s president to ensure an accountable and responsive government.

The new system should apply to premiers and mayors too.

In a briefing on Tuesday morning, the party said the current party list system only promotes party interests above those of the people.

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“The people shall govern” must be the eternal constant in the country’s politics, said the party’s congress executive committee.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa, like his controversy-ridden predecessor, has spectacularly failed to uphold his oath of office to always discharge his duties with all his strength to the best of his knowledge and ability.

“He has shown neither total strength, commitment, nor the true conscience in the service of the nation. Even the constitutional values of accountability, responsiveness and openness have not been respected and strictly adhered to,” it said.

“Retaining the present electoral system will give us a more abysmally failed presidency.”

The party’s CEC said the current voting system had managed to keep President Cyril Ramaphosa in power when he should have long resigned or be removed from office.

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“The social contract has been broken as the government has failed to deliver all its promises to the South African people due to failures in governance, transparency, accountability and responsiveness,” it said.

Cope’s grievances

“The people want something different. I did not go to Robben Island for this nonsense that we are being subjected to now,” said Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota.

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Among the issues Cope has with the current government include, public services that have collapsed and the collapse of many state-owned enterprises and most municipalities.

“The corruption, murder and violent crime, GBV, kidnappings have left South Africa fearful. The trust deficit between political leaders and ordinary people has reached parliament. South Africa would have been better off if a vote of no-confidence debate started the new parliamentary year.

“Ramaphosa will try to sell citizens a dream without releasing them of their ceaseless nightmares. When all is said and done, party interests will prevail. It will be business as usual. The economy will be damaged even more, joblessness will increase and any state-owned entity that is not yet brought on its knees will be pulled down.

“Ministers will remain consumed by political infighting as ever, and incompetence and corruption will continue for longer.

“The president has failed to hold ministers accountable for their lack of performance and has lost the courage to disclose the outcome of the performance assessments.”

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Late last year, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the ministers’ performance assessments would not be disclosed to the public to avoid the information being used against them.

Cope said while the current electoral system has worked in favour of politicians, it has been a disaster for the country’s citizens.

“Everyone in every corner of our country is now feeling the tyranny of the dominant political party. If the electoral system does not change, the lives of South Africans will change for the worse. Our future is in the hands of the voters. Our longer term future hinges on how our president, premiers and mayors are elected.”

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