Dear OUTA supporter

As we find ourselves in the midst of another national election month, marking three decades of democracy, the landscape before us is undeniably different to that of previous elections. 

But that was then, and this is now. Little did we (and most likely even Ramaphosa himself) realise the breadth and depth of Zuma’s legacy. It was one that produced a vast network of corrupt individuals and groups deeply entrenched within the ruling party’s culture, with no desire to halt their plundering of the State’s coffers. Any attempt by Ramaphosa to thwart their nefarious enrichment plans, was met with a reminder by those who placed him in power, that they could just as easily have him removed.   

Despite a number of initial activities that had lasting impact (e.g. the removal of Tom Moyane from SARS and Shaun Abrahams from the NPA and others), Ramaphosa lacked the leadership and political will to meaningfully deal with the problem of corruption and inept cadres deployed to conduct the looting. 

An attempt by the Zuma faction to take back control at the 2022 ANC elective conference, posed a formidable threat to Ramaphosa's leadership. Yet, despite mounting pressure and the carefully timed Phala-Phala debacle, he clung to power albeit somewhat reluctantly, recognising the dire consequences of yielding to the alternative. 

Today, on the cusp of yet another national and provincial election, we stand at a more distinctive crossroad. The emergence of new political players with skin in the game – the likes of Action SA, Rise Mzansi, BOSA, the PA and MK – signifies a shifting political landscape that ought to stir things up within Parliament, largely for the better. The collective power of these new political entities, has no doubt arisen from a void that the traditional opposition of the DA and EFF were unable to fill, in the wake of the ANC's decline.

However, the abundance of choices presents a dilemma of choice for voters, compounded by the inclusion of independent candidates. Amidst the cacophony of political discourse, a sobering realisation has dawned upon citizens and business leaders alike: coalition politics may not be the panacea for our nation's woes. There is indeed a need for stronger and constructive civil society interventions if we are to take the country forward.

The next five years will no doubt be fraught with political turbulence that comes with an immature situation of coalition politics, further underscoring the urgent need for organised civil society to assume a more active role as a co-governance partner within the public sector. As with our pre-democracy era, the past decade has illuminated the pivotal role of civil society, however this time around it seeks to upholding democratic values and accountability, leveraging a robust judicial system, effective protest action and the free press that does excellent work in exposing malfeasance.