Philip Copeman

Author and Activist

Everyone of the 233 ANC Parliamentarians (plus Themba Godi) should be banned from ever holding public office in South Africa. They are guilty of having failed to uphold their Oath of Office and no solidarity in numbers, no claims of misunderstanding the facts, no mitigation of saving their carreers, no offers to pay back the money can absolve them of this criminality.

South Africa stands at a crossroads. We can make a stand and start to dig ourselves out of the mess that we have created and for which we are ultimately to blame or we can lunge forward into the abyss that stares up at us. Convicting the 233 that voted against the impeachment motion, sweeping this parliament out and replacing it with a fresh culture gives us our only chance to avoid implosion.

This is how multi party constitutional democracy is supposed to work. Begin with a founding constitution that is not fixed, but is firm and difficult to alter. Parties are free to form and campaign in fair and regular elections. The majority party wins and runs the executive. The minority accepts the view of the majority and supports the majority. The majority respects the view of the minority and takes this into account when making decisions. Government is a collaboration between all parties for the optimum of all citizens and follows the rules of the constitution. Officers of the state take an oath that in their execution of these duties they will uphold the constitution. When the time comes for another election, the majority ensures that there is an independent election in which the views of all are clearly heard. Officers of the state are there to serve and are not there for the gains of themselves, their families or any particular group. Because the system is balanced and personal enrichment is limited all parties are given fair hearing in elections. Government regularly changes hands and the majority of the past becomes the opposition of the future. The best opposition you can have is a recently unseated majority. This regular changing of the guard is a protection mechanism against officers taking control of and abusing state resources. That is how multi party constitutional democracy is supposed to work.

Under such a system, freedom is maximized, investors invest, growth thrives and a healthy society develops.

Somehow we got waylaid in South Africa. No matter what our good intentions were in 1994, we do not have this ideal democratic state of affairs. We have a single majority that has now been in power for over 20 years and in hellbent on retaining that power. We have an executive that has created a culture of corruption and self enrichment so entrenched that it is what I am saying here that is regarded as madness rather than the fact the madness is an executive who feels it has ownership over state assets. We can no longer tell what is right and what is wrong

We need a clean sweep and all those that are complicit in this state of corruption must be removed from office - forever. We must send a clear signal to all that come after, that the executive will be held to account.

The obvious argument is that if we feel this way we should be content to go out and organise a political party, stand for office and win an election. This will not solve the problem. We have already suffered multiple unfair elections. We have an electoral system so unbalanced by the use of corruptly stolen money that no opposition has fair opportunity. The fact that we have an electorate that is blinded by food parcels and tee shirts, does not make it legitimate to give Government to the party that is able to best divert state funds to this purpose. The financial imbalance caused by the entrenchment of the majority and the looting of state assets means the majority has failed in its obligation to uphold the minority and thereby keep our democracy alive.

This problem cannot be solved by elections. Elections are counter productive as they serve to entrench the criminality. It will take pressure of civil society and the Judiciary to convict the Gang of 233 (Plus Godi).

Civic action will undoubtedly be painful. As you cure cancer, by removing the surrounding body part, so must we expunge this disease. We must replace the Gang of 233 with politicians who are prepared to take up office knowing that they will emerge poorer after their term. Politicians who understand that serving South Africa is more important than serving individuals or select groups. Politicians who will offer us roll models to emulate.

The fact that the Gang of 233 will fight with all they have to protect their ill gotten gains should not deter us. The alternative, to wash our children's future down the sink of a dictatorship, is far worse.

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