By Tyrone Pretorius
Hope. The word has reared its head regularly in recent months as life – on all fronts – continues to hurl burdensome boulders at all sectors of society.
Some people have decided to emphatically live with the hope that this country will overcome all its hardships. Others have opted to abandon all hope of a better tomorrow. To me, hope is a powerful emotion, a mighty tool that gives rise to greatness; it affects change and sparks power.
Now is not the time to give up on hope. If that were the case, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) would not be thriving today. Hope was the foundation that they university was built on. It is because the architects of UWC never gave up hope that someday the institution, literally hidden in a bush, would be one of the catalysts that would unshackle a nation.
UWC succeeded, but that is not where our story ends. This university is responsible for continuing to build this hard-earned democracy. It is our duty to help facilitate seminal national conversations and research that will ensure cohesive and effective governance.
It is fitting that the Presidency convened the National Dialogue on Coalition Governments in the Jakes Gerwel Hall at UWC. Under Professor Gerwel’s leadership as the Rector of UWC between 1987 and 1994, a remarkable generation of professionals was educated, many of whom have taken to heart his belief in the human spirit and in the community.
He started the Community Law Centre and appointed advocate Dullah Omar at the helm. It was here, at this centre, which is now the Dullah Omar Institute, where the interim Constitution of the country was drafted. Justice Albie Sach said the place was the “engine room of the intellectual foundations for the new Constitution”. During this process, UWC staff, including Albie, Bulelani Ngcuka, Zola Skweyiya, Brigitte Mabandla and Kader Asmal, did not allow their political allegiance to cloud their judgement on the importance of having a constitution that would protect everyone.
We must evoke this spirit when we embark on a transformative national conversation to lay the foundation for a National Framework for Coalition Governments.
Since the introduction of the White Paper on local government and the democratic local government in 2000, we have observed significant instability in South Africa. It can be attributed to many factors, such as the deficit in required capacity, financial instability and, recently, loosely arranged coalition governments.
The current instability in municipalities has been ongoing since the 2016 and 2021 local government elections, which saw the emergence of several hung councils with no majority political party. As of May 2023, there were 81 hung councils across the country, which may ultimately negatively affect the national and provincial governments.
With the general elections in 2024, it is an opportune time to create space for a national dialogue on developing a framework for coalition governments while we focus on dealing with the immediate challenges in local government. The framework must ensure we uphold democracy and its emphasis on majority rule. The issue of coalitions is part of the discussion on improving the quality of our democracy. While working towards the dialogue, we will continue to review the negative impact of dysfunctional coalition arrangements and their effect on service delivery.
The Dullah Omar Institute’s history of thought leadership in local government spans more than three decades. The institute has consistently been teaching and writing about local government. It has made numerous contributions to the design and implementation of the system and produced a vast network of alumni working in the sector. The institute is but one UWC establishment that can assist in finding answers to the challenges we face with coalition governments.
First, we must acknowledge the problem's complexity and understand that there are no straightforward solutions. It is, however, clear that we should elevate discussions above party and political interests. South Africa is a diverse nation; our societies are complex; therefore, providing a platform for all is paramount – every voice counts. Furthermore, we have to focus on building leadership capacity, which will require quality training. And we have to look to countries with thriving coalition governments, but we have to ground our decisions within our unique context.
While it might seem like an impossible task, we have a slogan at this institution – that UWC is a place to grow from hope to action through knowledge. I hope that, together with the Presidency, all South Africans will join us on this journey for a better future for all.
*Pretorius is the rector of the University of the Western Cape