By Desmond Pitoyi
This week, I thought I’d detour and be tone deaf to the election noise that has been hogging the limelight since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced and declared the national polls scheduled for 29 May.
I thought I’d tackle something close to my heart, like jazz and radio host Nothemba Madumo, the “Lady of Jazz”, now doing her thing on 702 and CapeTalk Sundays between 6pm and 9pm.
I also intended to write about journalism and this week’s brief closure of The Daily Maverick, one of the country’s thorough and to-go-to publications for perspective, due to financial constraints. Surprise, surprise! Good Samaritans came to the party landed a helping hand to save the ship from sinking. The publication is now back on track, so it seems. Its demise would have been a sad day for investigative journalism in this country.
My wish was to also write about Angie Motshekga’s announcement that the Department of Basic Education was moving straight ahead with its plan to introduce a new school certificate for grade 9 pupils from next year.
Minister Motshekga was quoted, in part, as saying: “It allows for learners, after 10 years of schooling (grade 9), to be recognised for their levels of curriculum attainment, general capabilities and talents.”
Whatever that means, it’s gobbledygook to me! I’ll do a follow-up on this soon.
I wouldn’t allow the moment slip without mentioning the glaring absence of Load shedding. Where has that illusive son of a gun gone? It’s been 24 days, and counting, since the bane of our existence vanished without a trace, and a lot of people describe his disappearance as good riddance to rubbish!
These, and a myriad of other topical ideas, simmer in my brain, making my hands itch and want to put pen to paper, and spark a debate that would get you guys talking.
But, alas, it was never to be. Once again, news events yanked me by the scruff of the neck and forced me to write this piece, kicking and screaming! As you may have noticed, we’re indeed living in confusing, yet interesting as well as exciting times in South Africa.
Never, in the three decades since the dawn of our democracy, has South Africa experienced such vibrancy, not to mention the highly charged political atmosphere ahead of the national and provincial polls. This, by far, surpasses the first democratic elections in 1994. Hence some describe “2024 as our 1994 – a chance at renewal”.
A week in politics is a long time, so they say. And the past week is no different.
As we tiptoe towards election day, and as numbers add up, it’s five weeks before the big day. A lot is at stake for the governing party and others jostling for possition.
Just last week, we saw former president Jacob Zuma and his MK party take the IEC to court over whether his face should be on the ballot paper.
Ramifications of that ruling by the Electoral Court is that the MK party may feel it has gained traction going into the polls and is highly likely to seriously energise the voting process even more. In light of all the theatrics, and Zuma playing to the public galary, I suppose this is part of political campaigning.
I breathed a sigh of relief when the Electoral Court ruled in favour of the former head of state and his crew, and dismissed the IEC’s appeal. As to what the court’s reasoning for this, is still a mystery. I call upon legal eagles to unpack or solve this riddle for us. By all means, this case has left me without a shadow of doubt that the South African legal system still prevails.
However, there’s tension between Zuma and the IEC, and the former president may be gunning for the electoral body days before the polls. The MK party has also accused the IEC of bias and that it’s supporting or protecting the ANC.
When all is said and done, the IEC must uphold its integrity and be seen to be discharging its obligation to conduct free and fair elections.
As the country mulls over the ramifications of the Electoral Court’s decision to grant Zuma and his party the right to be on the ballot paper, a question arises: will he be back in Parliament, post-elections? Or is this him just buying face?
I envisage a scenario where the MK party would be using its clout to assert itself in the new political space and in Parliament. This could result in rivalry with the EFF that’s infamous for causing ructions in the National Assembly. I fear the worst though, if a majority party or any coalition resulting from this interesting yet mind-boggling dynamic.
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