There’s something fundamentally wrong and broken with a democratic system that allows a tiny minority party with only 19,500 votes out of 3.5-million cast and just one MPL out of 80 (1.57%) so much power that it can in effect hold a province to ransom. Patricia de Lille holds sway with the same undeserved, overarching influence in the National Assembly, where she heads a party of just one MP (herself) that received 29,501 votes out of 16.29-million cast. Yet with just 0.18% of the vote she chooses to take the cabinet seat offered, the big bucks, two houses, cars and staff, leaving her voters voiceless in parliament.
It’s nuts. It makes a mockery of our democracy. So well done to the NFP MPL for siding (so far) with the current group in KwaZulu-Natal.
And for ignoring the instruction to do otherwise from her party boss, who clearly has an ulterior motive. But let’s not for a moment pretend it’s all honour and altruism, because it’s not. We have as yet no idea what the NFP MPL has been promised or already been given to deliver the province to the other side.
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She’s now an MEC with the salary, allowances and all the perks of that office. Were she to change sides the other grouping would have to offer her the same, if not more. And it would be more, I guarantee.
The days of politicians acting honourably and for no personal benefit are largely long gone. The only way to change this unfair and unbalanced representation is to introduce legislation requiring a minimum level of support for each party to be able to qualify for seats in each legislature. I would suggest a cut-off of 5%.
Otherwise this kind of outrageous buying of seats, positions and governments will just continue. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments toletters@businessday.co.za. Letters of more than 200 words may be edited for length.
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