National Dialogue flop shows electoral recalibration needed – IRR

The likely failure of the National Dialogue, which started today and increasingly seems likely to be a flop, shows how urgent it is to get South Africans engaged in the political process, says the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).

Says IRR consultant Marius Roodt: “The National Dialogue is little more than an ANC talk shop, evidenced by the failure to invite people with a worldview from its own. Even organisations which are in the ANC orbit, such as the Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe foundations, have withdrawn, which makes the National Dialogue even less deserving of the ‘national’ appellation.”

Yet South Africans vote every five years to choose their representatives in a real national dialogue to discuss South Africa’s problems and how to solve them, says Roodt.

“South Africans vote every five years for people to represent them in Parliament and this is where the site of national dialogues should be, not talk shops organised by a sclerotic ANC which is out of ideas, and soon will be out of time,” says Roodt.

“As IRR CEO, John Endres, has said: ‘In a constitutional democracy, there are established and legitimate forums for such work: Parliament and elections. These institutions are mandated to reflect the will of the people and to hold government accountable.’”

The calling of the National Dialogue reveals a deeper malaise – it is clear that Parliament is not seen as a core institution for society to discuss its problems, neither by voters nor clearly by the biggest party in South Africa, the ANC, says Roodt.

“We need to get South Africans excited about politics and let them know they have the power to effect change through their vote. And one way of doing this is through ensuring our electoral system is one which ensures MPs are responsive and accountable to voters,” Roodt argues.

“In our current system voters have little say over who represents them in Parliament, they can only vote for a party. South Africa needs to move to a system where at least some of our parliamentary representatives are chosen directly by voters – this will make Parliament a true site of political contestation where the interests of South Africans are properly considered,” says Roodt.

The Electoral Reform Consultation Panel (ERCP) is due to provide its recommendations to Parliament by the end of this month, Roodt says.

“If the ERCP does not recommend real electoral reform, which results in MPs truly representing voters, it will have failed,” Roodt remarks.

“The ERCP should strongly consider the IRR’s proposal – where some MPs are elected from single-member geographical constituencies with others elected from party lists to ensure proportionality. If we want to combine proportionality with accountability and responsiveness from MPs this is the only system which makes sense,” Roodt says.

Concludes Roodt: “Parliament should be our constant National Dialogue – and to make it truly National and a Dialogue we need electoral reform.”

You can read the IRR’s proposal here.

Media contact: Marius Roodt IRR consultant Tel: 082 779 7035 

Media enquiries: Michael Morris Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za