#FreedomDay2021: To honour our freedom, we must square up to the impoverishment of our politics

Freedom can only be honoured if we are to confront the inequity and impoverishment of our politics that continues to cause despair and dismay, writes Andrew Ihsaan Gasnolar.

Image: Zapiro.

The structure of our political economy and civic culture has been consumed by the impoverishment of our politics. Impoverishment that has squandered not just billions in service of a shadow state and the greed of those who are far more interested in consuming lavish lifestyles, but impoverishment that continues to rob millions of South Africans of their freedom, dignity, and basic human rights.

Theft has maimed, killed, bludgeoned citizens and continues to subject South Africans to inequity and impaired outcomes in education and degradation of a healthcare system that has been pushed to the brink as a result of COVID-19. Freedom can only be honoured if we are to confront the inequity and impoverishment of our politics that continues to cause despair and dismay.

Politics in a free and democratic South Africa should inspire and motivate citizens to commit to a renewed social compact committed to fairness, rooting out injustice and fulfilling the aspirations of our Constitution. Instead, we are confronted by unscrupulous politicians masquerading as servants of the people – who seem only focused on securing as much electoral power as possible, and never meaningfully addressing the needs of the people. The only option left to South Africans is to reject this systemic disrespect by avoiding party political participation and worse, by refusing to participate in our electoral system even though this tool could upend our broken system.

Image: Adobe Stock

Our party-political system has resisted reform at every turn and, in turn, civil society has had to motivate for transparency at every turn including party-political funding and the process whereby members are put forward for positions in government and leadership in our country. South Africans are not just burdened by poor outcomes in our governance and leadership, but also by unimaginative and dated thinking across the political aisles. Around 20 million South Africans are under the age of 35. This is the untapped potential that South Africa must begin to harness. It must be the focus of our collective efforts to ensure that young people across the country are included – that their voices, views, and outlook begin to shape, strengthen and reimagine South Africa’s democracy.

The unharnessed potential of young people continues to hamper opportunity and progress in South Africa, as do the barriers that exist for womxn, and the violence that continues to beset womxn and the LGBTIQ+ community. Inclusion should be at the heart of our democracy, yet we have allowed exclusionary and violent practices to not only consume the public square but also to inform and determine how policies are developed, as well as how resources are allocated. Now is the time for South Africans to speak out against injustice in all its forms, and importantly to mobilise collectively through the efforts of people to address these issues.

In 2019, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) recorded a 47% decrease in youth voter turnout – the crisis of our collective exclusion and apathy is a crisis confronting our national identity and civic culture. Apathy is at the heart of the crisis of participation and exclusion. Young people today continue to be plagued by the consequences of a lost decade, looting across the country and the impoverished cohort of political leaders that claim to serve the people. Our generation has a unique opportunity to strengthen this democracy by forging ahead with inclusionary practices that leverage our diversity of thought and begin to reimagine participation beyond the voting booth.

Disengagement from the voting booth should not surprise us as communities and citizens have been forced to protest actively to have their concerns heard. The electoral voice of South Africans have been relatively subdued, with politicians generally able to ignore the citizenry between election cycles and forcing citizens to protest to be heard and for the government to respond. It is not that South Africans are disengaged, but rather that they have committed their efforts to contributing outside the party-political fray. We may see this as an indicator of general civic apathy but, in 2018, Stats SA reported that 2.7 million volunteers were gauging 750 million volunteer hours contributed, challenging this notion. This is the equivalent of about 300 000 full-time jobs, equating to an annual value estimated at over R14 billion.

Image: Brand SA

Due to prevailing socio-economic circumstances, young people across South Africa have been pushed to the periphery. As we reflect on Freedom Day, there is an opportunity for South Africans to reimagine and create a framework for the vibrancy of young people to reimagine our public square and to utilise that creativity and relentless talent to confront those who wish to undermine our democracy. This is the commitment that we must all make towards achieving greater inclusion – across race, gender, identity, class, sexual orientation and faith – an inclusion that ensures that our democracy lives up to the aspirations of its citizens.

The spirit of resistance amongst young people has come alive once more – not just here in South Africa but across the globe. It is this spirit of resistance that we must harness to reshape and strengthen our democracy. We must always seek to speak truth to power and hold our elected leaders accountable and responsible. The hope and spirit of optimism of this generation can begin the work of unshackling and rebuilding our society to ensure that it is fair, equitable, and just. But young people will need to be brave, bold, and honest. We will have to embrace the notion of causing good trouble and thinking boldly. Importantly, we need to be honest, civic-minded and committed fully to shaping a better South Africa not just for ourselves but for all the citizens of this country who have been silenced and sidelined.

South Africa: as we reflect on our freedom, we must begin to consider how best to reimagine our democracy and what it will take to not simply rebuild after the traumas inflicted on us by the governing party of our choosing and the ravages of COVID-19, but also the fraying of our social fabric. The efforts to rebuild cannot be delegated or entrusted to the party-political machinery that has brought us to this political slough. Rebuilding will require collective impetus and a commitment from South Africans to reimagine and restore our civic square.

- Andrew Ihsaan Gasnolar