The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) rejects the green paper published last week by the Department of Social Development, which proposes “comprehensive social security and retirement reform”.
The paper represents a further State Capture v2.0 initiative to divert private savings and assets to the state. In this, it resembles other proposals such as prescribed assets, the National Health Insurance, and expropriation without compensation. All of these measures are aimed at shoring up the dire finances of the ANC and the state.
ou can help us lend weight to our arguments, both legal and in the court of public opinion, in defence of your right to vote by signing the form above. The following arguments stand between democracy and a slippery slope into vote-denial.
On 23 July 2021 the Electoral Commission declared itself unable to host a free and fair election in October 2021. This, despite the fact that the IEC itself acknowledged that countries including Ghana and Egypt were able to host free and fair elections during the pandemic in conditions that were equivalent to, or worse, than those South Africa faces now, without any evident "spike in infections".
Over 100 countries have hosted elections since the 1st wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some have failed to do so safely, and there are lessons to be learned from that. But scores have been able to conduct free and fair elections safely. They used commonsense measures like you see every time you go buy groceries to save lives and protect fundamental democratic rights. If the IEC is truly unable to do so here in October, during a unanimously expected trough in Covid-19 infections, it cannot blame the virus, it must take the blame itself.
The IEC report indicates that there is a "slippery slope" that young democracies like ours can fall down, from nascent legality into autocratic tyranny, by delaying elections until they suit the ruling elite. And yet the IEC pushes this country onto that very slippery slope by proposing that February 2022 will be safer than October 2021, despite the almost unanimous finding of scientists cited in its report that October is most likely to be safer than February. In other words if it is delayed once on this basis, it will be delayed again.
You cannot know when these delays will end. Neither can we. That is why we cannot let the delays start. No municipal official may govern one day after November 1st, 2021, according to the Constitution, and your vote may not be denied one day after that point either. Every day that the election is delayed will be one of irregular government, dissolving democratic norms, and opening gaps for political opportunists.
Our mission is to take the arguments you have just read, and more, to both the court of public opinion and the courts that will most likely make the final decision. Our voice is strengthened by your support. If you think one of the most basic signs of a failed state is that governments get away with denying people the right to regular, free and fair elections then stand up now. Do not be a victim later.
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