LETTER | Is democracy to blame for slow transformation?

In recent years, there have been growing calls in South Africa for what is usually termed “benevolent dictatorship”.

The logic behind it is that democracy (as a system of governance) is to blame for the slow pace of progress and transformation in South Africa since 1994. Therefore, a “strongman” like the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, is what our country needs to resolve all its issues in record time and achieve prosperity. 

In this letter, I argue that this call is fundamentally rooted in a lack of political consciousness and bias towards authoritarianism.

While it is true that leaders like Kagame have pulled their countries out of the crisis, what is often ignored is that the same leaders have also abused their power and fallen short of the standards of human decency. 

Democracy, far from being perfect, remains our best bet at safeguarding rights and freedoms while simultaneously improving the lives of people.

We dare not make a choice between the two!

Ayanda Sakhile Zulu

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