Maimane: To protect our democracy‚ we must protect our institutions

16 July 2015 - 21:30 By RDM News Wire
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ICE-CREAM QUIZ: Mmusi Maimane
ICE-CREAM QUIZ: Mmusi Maimane

Greece’s plight should jolt South Africa into action‚ and although the country was nowhere near Greece’s situation yet‚ in many respects South Africa was heading in the same direction‚ Democratic Alliance (DA) leader‚ Mmusi Maimane said on Thursday.

He was speaking at an event hosted by the British Chamber of Business in Southern Africa in Johannesburg‚ and said: “With all that is happening in Europe right now‚ it is an opportune time for us in South Africa to also take stock of our own situation. We need a frank and honest assessment of where our economy is‚ and where we are headed.”

Speaking about Greece‚ he said “they didn’t wake up one day and find themselves heavily indebted and unable to meet their obligations. Their crisis was a long time coming‚ but they failed to act when the signs were there.

“Without being alarmist‚ some of those signs are here in South Africa too. Our debt is getting away from us‚ our public sector wage bill is way too high‚ corruption – both in government and the private sector – is rampant and our savings rate is too low.

“We still have time to rectify this‚ but we must act now - quickly and decisively.”

The DA leader said South Africa had one of the strongest‚ most progressive Constitutions in the world‚ and “we have a history of a free and critical press and an independent judiciary. The combination of these elements should make for a healthy and vibrant democracy.

“But as we move deeper into Jacob Zuma’s second term of office‚ one thing has become very clear: For him and his cronies‚ staying in power and staying out of court far outweigh any obligation to uphold our Constitution and apply the Rule of Law without fear or favour.

“We’ve seen it in the way our Chapter Nine institutions are brought under the influence of the ruling faction of the ANC through strategic cadre deployment. We’ve seen it in the disregard for the sanctity of Parliament by both the ruling party and the EFF.

“We know by now that we can’t trust Jacob Zuma’s ANC to simply do the right thing when it comes to contesting free and fair elections‚ protecting our Constitution or ensuring that those guilty of corruption are brought to book.

“This is why it is crucial that we protect the integrity of the institutions of democracy that are meant to keep our government honest. Because only if these institutions function properly and independently‚ can our economy flourish‚ can businesses succeed and can our country thrive.”

Maimane said that one of the first changes a DA government would make would be to limit the president’s powers of appointment.

“As it stands‚ our president appoints a staggering spread of influential people. He appoints his deputy president‚ his ministers and deputy ministers‚ the leader of business in Government‚ ambassadors and a host of other diplomatic titles.

“He also‚ after a show of consultation‚ appoints members of the Judicial Services Commission‚ the Chief Justice‚ the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal and the judges of the Constitutional Court. Then he also gets to appoint the heads of most of our independent Chapter 9 Institutions – the Public Protector‚ the Auditor-General‚ members of the IEC‚ the Human Rights Commission and the Gender Equality Commission.

“He appoints the head of the NPA‚ the head of the SIU‚ the Military Command of the Defence Force‚ the National Police Commissioner‚ the Governor of the Reserve Bank‚ SARS Commissioners‚ and the list goes on and on.

“Our president has used just about every appointment I have mentioned here to further his own interest and shield himself from prosecution.

“This policy of loyal cadre deployment has made it impossible for independent thinkers to do their jobs‚ as is evidenced by the growing list of golden handshakes handed out recently at SARS‚ the Hawks‚ the NPA and the SABC.

“We can talk all we like about reviving our economy‚ supporting entrepreneurs and growing jobs‚ but if we don’t protect the foundations on which our democracy was built‚ this will all come to nothing.”

RDM News Wire.

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