By Francois Bekker(Lead article in DA Pretoria East Gazette)
The growth in DA support from 1 % (2009) to 11% in a by-election held recently in Hammanskraal, an ANC stronghold, is a clear indication that voter patterns are slowly but surely changing. Any voter mobility adds value to a viable multiparty democracy.
Communities across the racial and cultural spectrum are bearing the brunt of the ANC’s inability to render effective service delivery. Adding insult to injury, the ruling party in Tshwane is paralysed by infighting and a self serving political agenda that is not putting the interests of the people first.
The DA is committed to offer voters across the board a clear choice between continued lack of service delivery as perpetuated by the ANC or the DA’s commitment to effective service delivery that is underlined by transparent and accountable governance.
True political leadership does not derive from misplaced arrogance with power vested in office bearers who abuse their positions to enrich themselves at the cost of the people. Politicians are elected to serve the community, a concept evidently foreign to the ANC.
The DA’s growing support at the expense of the ANC is in the best interests of our democracy. Since the ANC was elected to power in 1994 it saw no progressive transformation to align itself with the challenges of the new South Africa. The ANC failed dismally to transform itself from a liberation movement to a genuine political party subscribing to the spirit of the constitution. This resulted in a power hungry political entity that is unable to govern effectively. Resisting any attempt to constrain power abuse, the ANC is co-opting supposed independent institutions.
The Democratic Alliance offers South Africa a clear and better alternative, namely the Open Opportunity Society. This type of society promotes a constitutional democracy constraining power abuse. It recognises the Rule of Law to assure that everyone is equal before the law. Furthermore it enshrines the freedom of speech, a free press and promotes opportunities for every citizen, regardless of class, creed or orientation to realize his or her ideals and dreams in life.
Communities across the board should realise that protest marches and toy-toying will not bring about changes in their daily lives. Elections afford communities the opportunity to claim back their power by exercising their democratic right at the ballot box.
The significance of the DA’s performance in the Ward 74 by-election is that voters continuously realise that politics is about choice. Although political support patterns won’t change over night, this realisation must inspire voters to open up to alternative offerings that will change their quality of life for the better. Already in power in the Western Cape, Cape Town and many other municipalities, the DA is also a party in government. This trend will continue as more and more people come to realize that where the DA governs service delivery is not an empty promise.
Addressing the bread and butter issues on grassroots level will pave the way for the opposition to change the party political landscape with a bottom-up approach. As Prince Otto von Bismarck declared:” Politics is the doctrine of what is possible.”
