[Letter] Messy, but democratic

That the country will be presented with a third budget on May 21 has not helped assuage general market jitters regarding the future of the government of national unity (GNU). However, the elevated scrutiny of, and marked increase interest in, the budget and related processes bodes well for future oversight and accountability, as well as for the budget content itself.

 

In the 2024 election anyone who voted for a party other than the ANC in effect managed to block the proposed VAT increase — and influenced the overall budget drafting and approval processes. This is vital reinforcement of the democratic mechanism in SA; the notion that voting in an election has a measurable impact in a country’s democracy and governance matters.

For citizens to see that their vote carries true weight is vital if SA’s trend of declining overall voter participation in elections is to be arrested and possibly reversed.

While the budget process this year has been messy and uncertain, that is part of democracy. Perhaps we don’t always want to accept or acknowledge the messiness of democracy, but it is orders of magnitude better (especially morally) than the alternatives.

Letter originally appeared here.