Sitting
on a train on Friday 7 April I ask myself: are we after 23 years still a
democracy?
Thousands used the first #FreedomFriday of Freedom month to take to the streets for a protest. You also had to pay close attention to know whether the protest was against state capture, our democratically elected president, firing of a former finance minister or against the governing party.
Maybe
best to first mention I am not against South Africans exercising their
democratic right to protest, against whatever.
I also share the view and
frustration over a lot of things done by our Commander in Chief. I’ll get back
to the protest...
As
i started writing this a video of kykNET Verslag popped up on my Twitter feed.
The clip was about what is described as the presenter, Waldimar Pelser, venting
over the President.
Waldimar
makes some daring statements that echoes my question and makes we wonder “do we
have media freedom or are we sitting with what some would describe as the
‘white-monopoly capital’ controlling the media
As
media we obligated not to be bias and report all sides of a story. Does this
however mean that as journalist I am not entitled to have an opinion?
As
journalist I am obligated not to be bias. But I am no spin doctor, I am a
journalist. Even before becoming a journalist I was a South African citizen.
Like my fellow countrymen-and-women I am equal before the law and enjoy the
same rights and responsibilities.
We
enjoy press freedom in our democracy, but what protection do journalists enjoy
for their thoughts and what if those thoughts and opinions are not the same as
the majority?
Journalists
don’t always receive the recognition they deserve. Many media colleague work in
dangerous situations, where we have to take cover as the bullets and bricks
fly. We at the receiving end of an auntie swear words or an uncle’s fist.
Is
there an expectation from journalist to sit with a mouth full of words and act
in the interest of the country? Unlike politicians we took no oath, yet they
don’t hesitate to share their opinions.
According to reports approximately 205,000 South Africans countrywide took part in the 7 April protest. This is more than 80,000 less than the amount of votes the sixth biggest party received – and would have gotten you about five votes in parliament.
I
did not take part in the protest. Not because I had to work, also not because
it is my right not to take part. I did not take part because I am angry and
frustrated at the many other things in our country – where many of our elected
representatives fail us.
Throughout
March nearly daily heard of children not only gone missing, but murdered. Until
this hour, our leaders have not called for a day of prayer, let alone a
protest.
In
Paarl a clinic is being carried away brick-by-brick and with gang violence our
elderly can barely go to pension payout points. But these are things we don’t
protest about.
I
was not one of the 277 members of the National Assembly who voted for the
current president in 2009, I was also not an MP when Jacob Zuma was elected
unopposed on 21 May 2014 for a second term.
See
parliament elects the president and parliament should hold the president
accountable and vote the president out.
That is why citizens 23 years on 27
April, and the four general elections thereafter, stood in long queues to
exercise our responsibility in voting for a political party.
We
should not be misled to believe that Jacob Zuma will resign because we took
part in a Big Walk and said so.
Our
task is clear, to hold the political parties accountable to act in the interest
of the country.
If
the 12 political parties in the National Assembly are unable to hold the
government accountable, we should hold them accountable when we make our cross.
Just
before the big march Gwen Ngwenya, chief operating officer of the Institute for
Race Relations, asked “when will South Africans learn that the ballot is
mightier than the picket?”
We
use the same argument, one for which I have been described on social media as
“a stupid black guy”.
I
manage to answer my own question. Thousands could take to the streets, against
a democratically elected leader and some swear at him. No one was prevented by
the South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies to take
part – more confirmation at how our democracy has matured.
South
Africa is might be heading down hill, but we not there yet. Me being able to write
this, you openly criticizing the government and the many protest that will
still be held are all confirmation of this.
Should
we reach the edge, we can still land on our feet.
We
can however not make a U-turn with a poster in the street. We will raise
awareness, and indirectly be part of a political campaign for the next general
election yes.
See our cross at the ballot
box is still mightier than a picket.
- This blog originally appeared in Afrikaans in Paarl Post of #FreedomDay 27 April 2017
