The Conspiracy of the People

Democracy is not just about elections, and yet there is a vocal minority guilty of this reductionism, complicit in conspiring to commit political infanticide.

The first inclusive, multiracial democratic elections in 1994 merely marked the culmination of a long, arduous negotiation process that sought to lay the foundation of a new democratic and constitutional order.

Even then, this process was not finalised in 1994, was not even complete in 1996 with the ratification of the Constitution, and to this day remains a work in process.

Democracy, and more importantly, the deepening of democracy, in the words of Nelson Mandela is not only about attaining the victory for democracy, but also retaining democracy.

In order to retain, and deepen democracy, it is imperative that democracy be treated as a complex phenomenon with scores of interrelated and equally important parts.

We could easily have rushed off to elections in 1991, but Mandela and his fellow ANC leaders understood that elections do not make a democracy. Just look to our neighbour to the north and the farcical elections held in Zimbabwe, and even to the Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China, and apartheid South Africa.

Democracy is an institution and is accompanied by certain processes, principles, values and a particular institutional culture. Democracy is not just about leaders, or government, it is about the state in its totality and the manner in which the state and society interact.

Even in “democratic” South Africa the institution of democracy and all its components have not yet been “normalised”, these values, principles and processes have not yet become a part of our daily life and our attitudes towards living in a society that considers itself democratic.

This, in turn, is demonstrated in the apathy of the vast majority of South Africans towards attempts by a vocal ruling elite to curb, limit and contain democracy, reduce it to elections, and dictate to the populace what is in their best interest: the Protection of Information Bill, being a prime example.

The public has been misled into believing that elections are the only necessary precondition for a democratic order, and appear to disregard the other fundamentals of the rule of law, constitutionalism, pro-active participation and representation, vertical and horizontal accountability, transparency, openness, accessibility and due process.

Sadly, this lie has filtered down to the vehicles for mobilising and organising government — our political parties.

The chief pre-occupation of the members and leaders of South Africa’s largest and third largest political parties remain the election of its leaders — perhaps a reflection of the underlying paternalistic and patriarchal fabric of our society and its “big man syndrome”.

What saved the ANC in 2007 (and after Mbeki’s recall) was the fact that the party was and still is greater than its president. The ANC at least has to its benefit the fact that it is almost a hundred years old, what is Cope’s excuse?

The preoccupation with the national elective congress of the Congress of the People is a symptom of myopia: a failure to understand internal democracy and reduce it to regular elections (not even inclusive, free and fair ones).

The national elective congress is constitutionally required to adopt the party’s election manifesto, determine the procedures for selecting local government election candidates, ratify policy decisions and, more importantly, amend the interim constitution or adopt a permanent one. There is currently no indication that the congress scheduled for November 5 has the capacity to do this.

The conspiracy to commit political infanticide will come full circle if, or when, those few individuals push through Cope’s elective congress on November 5.

Without adequate systems in place, without an established constitutional order and respect for the above principles, values and processes of internal democracy, the political newcomer in South Africa will be brutally slaughtered and consigned to the dustbin of our collective political history.

Additionally, the gross neglect of transparency, disregard for accountability, selective representation and participation, disrespect for due process and equality will become firmly entrenched in the political and organisational culture of the party and it will in future be known as the greatest con in South African history, nothing more than the Conspiracy of the People.