Is our democracy under threat?

There was a dark cloud over Cape Town on the evening of Thursday 12 February 2015 and then our mothers and fathers in heaven started to cry – as we all looked at the events taking place at what should be a respected institution – raindrops symbolized how we as a nation should have felt that moment.

The morning after I lower my head in shame as a South African – for this is not the South Africa I wanted our democracy to turn into.

I witness how members of the Public Order Policing assaulted public representatives and looking at the video is disgusting to say the least. My question remains: if they can do this to public representatives, what not about me and you?

Video of Assault

Even though Cape Town was in lockdown, firing of water cannons on especially senior citizens, who were unarmed and took part in a non-violent march, is just wrong. So what if they shouted “Zuma must resign” – it is not as if mister president was going to say those words or a vote of no confidence passed in him during Sona.

The signal issue within the National Assembly was uncalled for and I would hope the presiding officers take action against those guilty for switching it off. Hon. John Steenhuisen and Hon. Corne Mulder did not have to rise on a point of order to bring the signal problem under the attention of the presiding officers. Parliamentary staff was well aware of the problem, as some media colleagues informed the spokesperson for parliament on the issue and the issue went viral on social media. Someone needs to be held accountable for threatening our democracy.

While a part of me did not want the opposition members to leave the chamber, I can firmly understand why they did so.

The actions of the Economic Freedom Fighters was maybe how many in the country felt, but still disrespectful towards Parliament as an institution but also the President as an office and fellow MPs and the nation. I think the EFF made their point, loud and clear, and should have afforded the president the respond to it or not.
Video: EFF removed from Parliament

The actions by Speaker Baleka Mbete, was not that of a neutral player as she atleast twice called a member of parliament by his name – this after political parties previously agreed to refer to each other as honourable member. I also reckon it was wrong of the Speaker to ignore MPs who tried to raise Points of Privilege and to not only put them out, but call security forces was wrong.

I know why hon. Julius Malema and hon. Floyd Shivambu was asked to leave (for disrespecting in her view, the Speaker), but why were the other members of the EFF put out?
Video: EFF outside Parliament

A question by the leader of the official opposition, hon. Mmusi Maimane, and the Chief Whip of the largest minority party, hon. John Steenhuisen, remains unanswered and it is tragic and of grave concern for a presiding officer not to know which security forces enter the chamber – these things only happen in the American movies and would mean the country is under attack.

While these events played out on the floor, up in the gallery former Presidents Thabo Mbeki and FW de Klerk as well as Speaker of the first democratic parliament, dr. Frene Ginwala, looked down – and they had to atleast once think what we build cannot fall in one night.

The optimist in me finally followed the speech and I waited for the Head of State to show leadership and address what just happened in the presence of the Legislator, Government and Judiciary infront of the nation – instead all I heard was a giggle – and that was not the ANC leadership I grew up to know.

As a citizen I can now but only hope and dream that our political leaders will fall, bump their heads and get their senses back before the civil war the world feared with the release of Tata Nelson Mandela, will happen now 25 years later.

Video: ANC MPs after SONA

About the speech:

SONA is where the Head of Government shares with the nation what was done the past year and highlight issues for the new year.

The actual state of the nation played out in the hours leading up to the president ending with “I thank you” and the president failed to address those issues.

I heard about foreigners and land, a Eskom bailout, schools being build.

These are all good, but I would have liked more detail on how South Africa will be moved.

• How will jobs be created? 
• What guarantee can the country’s number one give it’s citizens that lights will stay on at night?
• How and when will our children be protected on the streets, how and when can our senior citizens walk to the shop without fearing for their lives?
• What is being implemented ASAP to increase the matric pass rate and to make sure learners in all grades get assistance and do well? What is being done to make sure children do not leave school?

I would also like to have heard what is being done to prevent us from becoming a welfare state and to regulate Social Grants better. I did not hear the president address the safety of train commuters. I did not hear how the lives of farmworkers will better.

Corruption is being addressed every year and local government is everyone’s business but still corrupt officials are protected. In the Western Cape we have a council whose fighting in court because some want to hold on to a chain – while communities suffer.

I heard little of what government is doing to assist tertiary education. We can simply not say it is important but not address issues tertiary institutions face. The president mentioned protest action and it is our right but failed to say what voter education and public engagement programmes are there.

The State of the Nation Address had nine points government is highlighting this year and some of the plans are good – the SONA delivered though was not the real state of our nation. People still went to bed hungry, children will still have to walk to school in the morning, people will still be hanging on to a train to arrive at work late, our economy will still suffer and everyone – even our honourable members in parliament – now feel unsafe!