Mashatile calls for ‘unerring focus’ on improving lives of South Africans

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called on political parties and civil society to craft a way forward for coalition governments that will improve the lives of South Africans.

The Deputy President was speaking at the National Dialogue on Coalition Governments held at the University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town, on Friday.

The two day dialogue seeks to lay a foundation for the creation of a National Framework guiding the effective management and navigation of coalition governments in South Africa.

“[Our] political focus must unerringly remain on the well-being of our people. Our pursuit of national consensus on how to approach coalition governments is a matter of national interest. Properly handled, it has the potential to bring the necessary stability, especially to the local government sphere, despite the intemperance we have witnessed in relation to coalitions.

“This dialogue therefore seeks to promote fidelity to the national interest so that we remain focused on the fulfilment of the constitutional injunction to build a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, and prosperous society,” he said.

Currently, South Africa has at least 70 hung municipalities and this has paved the way for the formation of coalition governments in local municipalities.

Some of these coalitions, particularly those in metropolitan municipalities, have given rise to, amongst others, instability and frequent changes in council leadership structures – ultimately hampering service delivery to citizens.

Deputy President Mashatile told those at the dialogue that in this regard, citizens are demanding accountability from those elected to lead.

“Whatever the configuration of governance, the electorate and the people as a whole expect from those who govern nothing less than the material improvement of their lives, a better future for themselves and their children as well as guarantees for peace and security.

“Those who govern also owe accountability to the people at all times for without accountability, the process of governance is compromised. Additionally, where parties battle it out, like the feuding houses of Verona, other things also get lost: among them, improving the lives of the people is often compromised with negative impacts on the wellbeing of citizens,” he said.

Mashatile said although coalition governments face a raft of challenges, current leaders “may be the generation in our evolving democracy that co-creates and designs resilient solutions to our political architecture”.

“We can ignite the hopes of our people with the demonstration of united leadership, which communicates the message that we have gathered here today as a collective of South African stateswomen and statesmen and not as mere politicians representing their parties.

“This national dialogue will not stop after tomorrow; it is just the beginning. It is the launch of the dialogue that must spread across our nation as we collectively grapple with the most crucial question: what do we do going forward to serve the people even better?

“The motto of this eminent institution of higher learning is Respice Prospice: look back, look forward, and take what is worthy from the past, and build the future. As we grapple with these issues, may we embrace the apposite counsel of the motto of the University of the Western Cape so that we are able to meet the expectations of the people for the material improvement of their lives, and secure a better future for them and their children. So shall we be true to the national interest,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za