ADDRESS BY PATRICIA DE LILLE (MP) LEADER OF THE INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS AT WITS ON TUE. 25 JAN. 05
2005-01-25. The ability to stay relevant in the face of abundant political competition. Is it policies or populism? Southern Africa is one of the more stable regions today, if we compare it to other regions in the continent. Democratisation and governance is firmly on the agenda in this region.
Political parities are key instruments for the building and
consolidation of democratic governance. But Opposition parties
throughout the region face enormous challenges.
The southern African region is characterised by the dominant party syndrome, where liberation movements in particular tend to dominate politics. This dominant party syndrome is typified by dominant executives and weak parliaments.
Governing parties are often intolerant of opposition parties, accusing them of being disloyal opposition. Governing parties often dominate access to desperately needed resources.
There is no real culture of dialogue and debate in our countries; instead there is a lot of vitriol and attack amongst such role players. But it is fair to point out that our region is also characterised by weak and splintered opposition, where the animosity between opposition parties is often greater than tension between opposition and governing parties.
Opposition parties have lots of petty squabbles like who is the real leader; who should be under whose command. We often have poor party structures; poor relations with constituencies and members on the ground; There is a general struggle for financial and human resources; human resources that can deal with scenario planning; strategic planning; institution-building; building debating cultures; and then the crucial challenge of enunciating clear, and rock solid, workable policies and plans.
So in terms of the brief I was given – Policies or Populism – I want to say these are nor EITHER—OR's. We need both policies, plans and infrastructure, and relations with structures and members on the ground. Policies alone are not good enough. You need strong parties; parties with vision and mission; were clearly defined goals; that know their strengths and weaknesses.
Playing the Populism card can get one into desperate problems and even result in the demise of parties. Populism forces one to play to the gallery and the beauty contest of looking good image wise. One needs substance; one needs to have genuine and sincere relations with people; relations should not be based on finding out what the people want and prioritising their needs and aspirations.
We have to concede that there is the question of intra-party democracy: how to instil cultures of debate; have leadership succession planning; promote gender empowerment and gender equality; and the rest.
In a nutshell: opposition parties in our region face tremendous challenges.
TURNING NOW TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN LANDSCAPE:
We should start by pointing out that, for the first time in South Africa's history, the post-1994 environment has constitutional order, which for the first time makes provision for both government and opposition.
We should remember that we now have a dispensation that gives expression to a separation of powers; something that did not exist during the dark days of apartheid and white minority domination.
The reason why I was probably asked to speak on this topic is that the Independent Democrats are new to the political scene in South Africa. We have only been around for little over a year and a half, but already we have made huge inroads by becoming the fifth largest party in the general elections last year. Recent polls have also shown our support to have tripled since January last year making us the third largest party in terms of support in South Africa. The question which needs to be asked is how we have managed to do this and how we intend sustaining our growth into the future. The answer to this question will, I believe, have relevance for all political parties in Africa.
The first point to mention is that democracies are never static, but are constantly in a state of flux. This has been particularly so in the case of South Africa, where we have seen the political landscape change dramatically over the last ten years, particularly in the area of opposition politics. For a political party to stay relevant it has to be prepared to shift with the attitudes of the population. The shift that I am referring to is not an ideological or policy shift, but a shift in the way political parties engage with issues, each other and the public at large.
Currently South African politics is very polarized between the ruling party and the official opposition. In other countries this situation might be acceptable or even desirable. In a country like ours, however, I feel this divide is a dangerous one and is not in sync with what we are trying to achieve as a nation. It is an irony to me that it is politicians who always speak of unity in the country while at the same time actively try to divide it between those that support us and those that support them.
The Independent Democrats are clear in our approach; we are anti-nobody but simply pro South African. This is not to say that we don't call the government to account when it is necessary, but rather that we show balance in our criticism of their actions by also giving them credit in areas where they are achieving positive results.
Our philosophy is one of being critically independent but involved. This allows us to engage with government on key issues and find solutions to problems afflicting the country. Our focus is firmly on those issues affecting the lives of all South Africans, and in particular the advancement of their constitutional rights. When it comes to constitutional issues we are prepared to not only fight the issue in parliament but to in fact take it to the judiciary if necessary. I have done this three times in my political career and have won in each instance.
The Independent Democrats also maintain that it is not just the government that is responsible for delivering on these constitutional rights, but that other political parties and the general public have an important role to play. As a responsible opposition party it is our role to inspire South Africans and show leadership on how people can actively get involved in bridging the huge divides in South Africa.
It is this passion that has led to us running a number of campaigns such as our Access to Education Initiative, which provided a forum for people to come forward and contribute to a child's education. The challenges facing our countries in Africa are too large for any government to handle by itself. Instead of simply trying to score political points out of the failings of government, political parties must also become local agents of development. In saying this, I realize that opposition parties do not have access to government resources, but there are initiatives that can be taken at very little cost that will uplift the lives of our people. This is a goal that the Independent Democrats are committed to.
Another way in which we believe we are able to remain relevant in the South African political landscape is through making ourselves more accessible to the general public. We have managed to achieve this through the use of the latest technology such as SMS and website chat forums. Political parties have to remain committed to finding new and better ways of communicating with the general public.
It is clear to the Independent Democrats that the public is growing tired and disillusioned with the old traditional style of politics. This is evidenced by an increasing number of people, both in South Africa and the rest of the world, disengaging with the political system by simply not voting in general elections.
The greatest proportion of this group is in fact young people who truly do not identify with politics as usual. I therefore believe that political parties need to become dynamic entities that are responsive to the shifts and changing attitudes of the voting public. This is something that the Independent Democrats are committed to, not only so that we can be relevant to the voters, but also so that politics can be regarded as relevant.
I thank you.
Patricia de Lille (MP)
The southern African region is characterised by the dominant party syndrome, where liberation movements in particular tend to dominate politics. This dominant party syndrome is typified by dominant executives and weak parliaments.
Governing parties are often intolerant of opposition parties, accusing them of being disloyal opposition. Governing parties often dominate access to desperately needed resources.
There is no real culture of dialogue and debate in our countries; instead there is a lot of vitriol and attack amongst such role players. But it is fair to point out that our region is also characterised by weak and splintered opposition, where the animosity between opposition parties is often greater than tension between opposition and governing parties.
Opposition parties have lots of petty squabbles like who is the real leader; who should be under whose command. We often have poor party structures; poor relations with constituencies and members on the ground; There is a general struggle for financial and human resources; human resources that can deal with scenario planning; strategic planning; institution-building; building debating cultures; and then the crucial challenge of enunciating clear, and rock solid, workable policies and plans.
So in terms of the brief I was given – Policies or Populism – I want to say these are nor EITHER—OR's. We need both policies, plans and infrastructure, and relations with structures and members on the ground. Policies alone are not good enough. You need strong parties; parties with vision and mission; were clearly defined goals; that know their strengths and weaknesses.
Playing the Populism card can get one into desperate problems and even result in the demise of parties. Populism forces one to play to the gallery and the beauty contest of looking good image wise. One needs substance; one needs to have genuine and sincere relations with people; relations should not be based on finding out what the people want and prioritising their needs and aspirations.
We have to concede that there is the question of intra-party democracy: how to instil cultures of debate; have leadership succession planning; promote gender empowerment and gender equality; and the rest.
In a nutshell: opposition parties in our region face tremendous challenges.
TURNING NOW TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN LANDSCAPE:
We should start by pointing out that, for the first time in South Africa's history, the post-1994 environment has constitutional order, which for the first time makes provision for both government and opposition.
We should remember that we now have a dispensation that gives expression to a separation of powers; something that did not exist during the dark days of apartheid and white minority domination.
The reason why I was probably asked to speak on this topic is that the Independent Democrats are new to the political scene in South Africa. We have only been around for little over a year and a half, but already we have made huge inroads by becoming the fifth largest party in the general elections last year. Recent polls have also shown our support to have tripled since January last year making us the third largest party in terms of support in South Africa. The question which needs to be asked is how we have managed to do this and how we intend sustaining our growth into the future. The answer to this question will, I believe, have relevance for all political parties in Africa.
The first point to mention is that democracies are never static, but are constantly in a state of flux. This has been particularly so in the case of South Africa, where we have seen the political landscape change dramatically over the last ten years, particularly in the area of opposition politics. For a political party to stay relevant it has to be prepared to shift with the attitudes of the population. The shift that I am referring to is not an ideological or policy shift, but a shift in the way political parties engage with issues, each other and the public at large.
Currently South African politics is very polarized between the ruling party and the official opposition. In other countries this situation might be acceptable or even desirable. In a country like ours, however, I feel this divide is a dangerous one and is not in sync with what we are trying to achieve as a nation. It is an irony to me that it is politicians who always speak of unity in the country while at the same time actively try to divide it between those that support us and those that support them.
The Independent Democrats are clear in our approach; we are anti-nobody but simply pro South African. This is not to say that we don't call the government to account when it is necessary, but rather that we show balance in our criticism of their actions by also giving them credit in areas where they are achieving positive results.
Our philosophy is one of being critically independent but involved. This allows us to engage with government on key issues and find solutions to problems afflicting the country. Our focus is firmly on those issues affecting the lives of all South Africans, and in particular the advancement of their constitutional rights. When it comes to constitutional issues we are prepared to not only fight the issue in parliament but to in fact take it to the judiciary if necessary. I have done this three times in my political career and have won in each instance.
The Independent Democrats also maintain that it is not just the government that is responsible for delivering on these constitutional rights, but that other political parties and the general public have an important role to play. As a responsible opposition party it is our role to inspire South Africans and show leadership on how people can actively get involved in bridging the huge divides in South Africa.
It is this passion that has led to us running a number of campaigns such as our Access to Education Initiative, which provided a forum for people to come forward and contribute to a child's education. The challenges facing our countries in Africa are too large for any government to handle by itself. Instead of simply trying to score political points out of the failings of government, political parties must also become local agents of development. In saying this, I realize that opposition parties do not have access to government resources, but there are initiatives that can be taken at very little cost that will uplift the lives of our people. This is a goal that the Independent Democrats are committed to.
Another way in which we believe we are able to remain relevant in the South African political landscape is through making ourselves more accessible to the general public. We have managed to achieve this through the use of the latest technology such as SMS and website chat forums. Political parties have to remain committed to finding new and better ways of communicating with the general public.
It is clear to the Independent Democrats that the public is growing tired and disillusioned with the old traditional style of politics. This is evidenced by an increasing number of people, both in South Africa and the rest of the world, disengaging with the political system by simply not voting in general elections.
The greatest proportion of this group is in fact young people who truly do not identify with politics as usual. I therefore believe that political parties need to become dynamic entities that are responsive to the shifts and changing attitudes of the voting public. This is something that the Independent Democrats are committed to, not only so that we can be relevant to the voters, but also so that politics can be regarded as relevant.
I thank you.
Patricia de Lille (MP)
