South Africa’s democracy remains functional, but its deeply centralised state is steadily eroding individual liberty. Lasting change will require pressure from beyond formal politics.
What a seminal piece of writing. For those who do not have the time to wade through the manifestos of the main political parties in South Africa, here is your answer. But even better than telling us what the various parties stand for in the main, Ayanda went further: he actually gave a concise overview of how the various main parties act in practice, which is far more important than what they profess to stand for. Not only will the article be of great value to international readers with little knowledge of our current South African landscape, but a plethora of South Africans can also benefit from an insight cutting through all the confusion caused by constant noise from politicians in the run-up to our November local government elections.
What I also appreciate about this insightful piece is that Ayanda also — very rightly so in my opinion — points out who the actors are who can change voter perceptions regarding the confusing noises and promises spewed by political parties. I quote those insights here for easy reference:
"This necessarily means that there must be another avenue beyond the arena of formal politics through which the cause of liberty can be advanced and sustained.
This avenue is civil society, and it is encouraging to see that it is already advancing the cause of liberty, holding the GNU to account, and applying pressure on it to move away from centralisation.
It includes civil society organisations such as AfriForum and Solidarity, think tanks such as the Free Market Foundation and the South African Institute of Race Relations, and advocacy groups such as Sakeliga and Lex Libertas. Collectively, these organisations are playing an important role in advancing the cause of liberty and must continue doing so in a context where sustained pressure beyond the arena of formal politics is essential to driving fundamental change."
[...]
"It is equally important that the business community recognises its influence and exercises it in support of a policy agenda that supports the expansion of individual liberty and reduces the concentration of state power."
Thank you very much, Piet. I really appreciate you taking the time to read the article and for your thoughtful and generous feedback. I'm glad the central argument came across clearly, and your kind words truly mean a great deal. Thank you again for your support.
What a seminal piece of writing. For those who do not have the time to wade through the manifestos of the main political parties in South Africa, here is your answer. But even better than telling us what the various parties stand for in the main, Ayanda went further: he actually gave a concise overview of how the various main parties act in practice, which is far more important than what they profess to stand for. Not only will the article be of great value to international readers with little knowledge of our current South African landscape, but a plethora of South Africans can also benefit from an insight cutting through all the confusion caused by constant noise from politicians in the run-up to our November local government elections.
What I also appreciate about this insightful piece is that Ayanda also — very rightly so in my opinion — points out who the actors are who can change voter perceptions regarding the confusing noises and promises spewed by political parties. I quote those insights here for easy reference:
"This necessarily means that there must be another avenue beyond the arena of formal politics through which the cause of liberty can be advanced and sustained.
This avenue is civil society, and it is encouraging to see that it is already advancing the cause of liberty, holding the GNU to account, and applying pressure on it to move away from centralisation.
It includes civil society organisations such as AfriForum and Solidarity, think tanks such as the Free Market Foundation and the South African Institute of Race Relations, and advocacy groups such as Sakeliga and Lex Libertas. Collectively, these organisations are playing an important role in advancing the cause of liberty and must continue doing so in a context where sustained pressure beyond the arena of formal politics is essential to driving fundamental change."
[...]
"It is equally important that the business community recognises its influence and exercises it in support of a policy agenda that supports the expansion of individual liberty and reduces the concentration of state power."
Thank you very much, Piet. I really appreciate you taking the time to read the article and for your thoughtful and generous feedback. I'm glad the central argument came across clearly, and your kind words truly mean a great deal. Thank you again for your support.