Voting For Accountability In South Africa
The memory of politicians are often as short as their election promises are long. An example is the speed with which the elected – and electorate - forgot an election undertaking by the ruling party in 2004 promising to strengthen the Scorpions as part of its proposed anti-corruption drive.
The memory of politicians are often as short as their election
promises are long. An example is the speed with which the elected – and
electorate - forgot an election undertaking by the ruling party in 2004
promising to strengthen the Scorpions as part of its proposed
anti-corruption drive. Fast forward five years and the Scorpions have
been legislated out of existence. This despite it featuring prominently
in what the African National Congress (ANC) billed its ‘peoples
contract’, during the last national poll.
The ANC is hardly alone in policy flip-flops on the corruption issue.
Witness the 2004 opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) battle cry against
corruption juxtaposed to the party’s ongoing reluctance to lead the way
in disclosing its funders. Donors of political parties want access and
influence – and a party that looks set to wrest control of the Western
Cape from the ANC is a good bet if this might gain access to lucrative
provincial government tenders.
It is this fact that makes the policy positions of parties likely to
form a government or participate in a coalition very important, as they
have access to State power that is often easily manipulated. For the
rest one relies on smaller opposition parties to help keep a check on
power by using their voice in legislatures, and on public platforms to
help expose obvious venality. However for the electorate it remains
difficult to separate politicians of relative integrity from the
individuals who make up the mafia-like elite within business and
government who actively seek to undermine the constitutional value of
open governance.
It is important to recognise the role corruption has played in
political mobilisation in the run-up to the elections. Corruption is not
necessarily the most important issue in the mind of most voters, but
there is a growing realisation that it’s a crosscutting issue which
impedes service delivery, undermines the rule of law and deepens
inequality. The swagger of wealth suggests to the poor that the powerful
have ‘eaten’. However, instead of engaging the electorate on the
substantive issues about values and integrity – we have seen a
‘Zumafication’ of the corruption issue. While corruption and clean
governance feature in most party manifestos, opposition parties have
concentrated most attention on ANC President Jacob Zuma and allegations
of corruption leveled against him. Personalising the war on graft clouds
the larger and more important issue – that of strengthening
institutions and deepening ethics in public life. The National
Prosecuting Authority’s decision to withdraw corruption charges may have
left a cloud hanging over Zuma, but for the opposition it was a massive
blow in their over-investment in one political celebrity. Similarly the
Zuma matter has necessitated the ANC to push the corruption issue onto
the back burner. It is one of the top policy issues for the party, but
on the campaign trail it was feared the more one discusses the issues,
the more attention one places on the corruption charges leveled against
the ANC President. Voters therefore hear noise about dealing with
corruption in the awarding of tenders and jobs for party cadres, but
little else from the ANC.
The party with possibly the most detailed anti-corruption plan is
somewhat (un)surprisingly the Congress of the People (COPE). However, it
remains difficult for the time being to reconcile its manifesto
promises with the role of its leaders who occupied public office until
recently and whose past actions in part now necessitate policy reform.
One need only think of the blind spot many party leaders have when it
comes to the issue of a comprehensive enquiry into the corruption
riddled multi-billion dollar arms deal - something which smaller
opposition parties such as the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the
Independent Democrats (ID) amongst others favour.
The real measure of integrity in South African political life is
unlikely to be found in party manifestos that remain littered with
inconsistencies. Rather, it is going to be up to citizens, civic groups
and the media who are willing to engage in a forthright debate on
accountable governance and the values of an open society as envisioned
by the Constitution. This needs to happen in local communities as much
as it does when allegations occur of corruption in multi-billion rand
national tenders. The tone is ultimately set by the electorate who
largely get the leaders it elects. It is time we realise that the
political parties will follow us, but it is up to all South Africans to
lead the way, every day after the elections. The more we demand from the
powerful and embarrass them for abusing the power, the better the
parties, their manifestos and the leaders who write them will become.
Hennie van Vuuren, Head, Corruption and Governance Programme, ISS Cape Town
