Ekurhuleni (incorporating SA’s favourite joke locale, Benoni) has been called the “land of Cortinas and Carnival City”. That may change to the “land where small parties go to die”. Citydex's PAUL BERKOWITZ bemoans the apparent demise a land of many political party colours.
So the vote has been called in Ekurhuleni. Between them, the ANC and DA shared 92% of the vote. Cope, the IFP and the NFP have to be content with the largest crumbs, about 1% each. Ward numbers increased from 88 to 101, but the voting map is coloured in the now-familiar yellow-and-blue chequerboard.
Personally, I find this sad. The PR vote in Ekurhuleni has historically been the most diverse of any of the metros and some of the smaller parties have succeeded against all sorts of odds.
In 2006, 10 smaller parties (not ANC or DA) won PR seats in the metro. The ACDP (one), FF+ (two), ID (two), IFP (five), PAC (three) and UDM (one) are the usual suspects, but even here their showing was impressive: this was the best showing for the IFP outside of KwaZulu-Natal and the best showing for the PAC outside Eastern Cape.
Then there are the genuine independents and smallest of the small parties: Azapo (one), the Daveyton Community Peace Committee (one), the Displacees Rate-payers Association (three), the Independent Rate-payers Association of SA (one) and the Simunye in Christ Organisation (one) all won seats. Thembisa Concerned Residents Association won a seat in 2000, but fell short of the mark in 2006.
The DCPC, DRPA and Sico all won seats in both 2000 and 2006, which is testament to their staying power. In fact, the DRPA increased its PR seats from one to three in 2006, and the Sico lost its councillor to floor-crossing in 2004, but still won its seat back in the 2006 polls. Azapo and the Irpasa have a national presence, faint and ghost-like though it may be, but the others are all genuine homeboys and girls.
Unfortunately, Azapo weren’t at the party this time. Neither were the DCPC. Sico only won 0.1% of the vote and that means it loses its one seat on council. The PAC will certainly lose one of its three seats, maybe two. The IFP will lose two, if not three, of its five. The DRPA will go back down to one seat and the IRPA will retain one seat. Probably. The ACDP will retain its seat and the FF+ will lose one of its two seats.
There are new kids on the block who will step into the breach: Themba Godi’s African People’s Convention will get at least one seat. Cope should get two. The NFP will get two seats. TCRA will miss the mark again.
I know it doesn’t pay to be sentimental in politics. I know the writing was on the wall before the first vote was cast: the ANC and DA are modern, slick parties each with its own arsenal of pollsters, analysts, fixers and so on. They came to win, while some of the above-mentioned minnows were only here to assert their democratic rights and to be heard. At Citydex we predicted the deepening of this trend. But I still can’t shake this wistful feeling.
I don’t understand the land of Cortinas and Carnival City that well. By the next elections it will probably go the way of Tshwane; it will be bigger and more populous and the stakes will be higher for both the ANC and DA. I fear that whatever pioneering spirit resides here will be further diluted as its physical borders are stretched. I didn’t come to bury the smaller parties, but to praise them for their courage and tenacity. I hope they find their way back into the game come 2016 and I hope they give the ANC and DA a run for their money. I doubt very much it will happen, but the thought makes me smile. DM
(Disclaimer: Berkowitz once dated a girl from Springs and his cousin sang in a cabaret show at Carnival City. She was the only woman onstage that wasn’t topless.)
Photo: Reuters.
The press became defensive when GS Gwede said that, in this election they are batting for the opposition. The manner in which the media has treated the “ANC election list” saga bears the GS out. True to form, the press in this instance did not let truth get in the way of a good story. The story being that once more this is proof of ANC bungling! However the truth is more nuanced. One of fundamental debates especially in the context of the current elections, is whether SA should abandon the PR system and move to a constituency based electoral system. People are noting that the trend from the 2009 elections and the current ocal elections is moving towards a two party state. While the PR system played it’s role from the 1994, the voters maybe saying that SA is ready for a two party state. If this is the case, then there is no need to tolerate anymore a key weakness of the PR system i.e. Politicians fearing their political party more than they do the people. The experience of the ANC when it decided to involve communities in its selection of their candidates is probably giving us a taste of what the country is likely to be faced with, should we move to a constituency based system.
Lets look at what might happen in the case of the DA for example in a constituency based system. If the majority of the DA is still white, they would not have elected Musi or Patricia Delille for candidates. They may have chosen a DA equivalent of a Julius Malema in both occasions. People impatient with the process of delivery may change wholesale all the experienced councilors and put in new people; such new elected people are likely to start the learning cycle from the begining and repeat the mistakes already learned by the incumbents. This cycle is likely to self correct in the future however there will be costs. Either way a move to a constituency based system, desirable as it may be is froth with uncertainties and needs to be thoroughly debated.
It is scandalous in my view that the media have deliberately ignored the opportunity for such a debate just because the current angle they are taking to the story soils the ANC. I get the impression that our media is being flippant with the self regulation status they currently enjoy, the same attitude was displayed on the Cope story to the extent that journalists reported whishful thinking as facts . Surely this privilege must be balanced by thepassion to move the country forward that personal party preferences should not outweigh an analysis of such a critical issue for our country?
There are standard arguments for both a constituency-based and a PR system. If you do away with the PR system you run the risk of big parties consolidating power and squeezing out small and new parties. I believe that competition is important and that fresh ideas and new blood can enter the political space.
I do think that both the current PR and ward system could be improved. I think there are important things that could be done to strengthen the system and deepen democracy:
- introduce half-term by-elections for ward councillors
- pressure all political parties to sign social contracts with their constituents, binding them and their representatives to serving the people
- campaign finance reform, because it is in the public interest interest to know if any of our elected officials are in the pocket of big or local business, foreign government, special interest groups
Most important is voter education. Voter education (for all South Africans) about municipal legislation, the municipal budget process, the ward delineation system and how boundaries are drawn and redrawn. Better voter education leads to a more organised citizenry and healthier communities (Now with 11 added vitamins and minerals).