The United Kingdom is no stranger to a snap election, a process where parliament is dissolved before the next mandated election, and fresh elections are held but would a snap election happen in South Africa?
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga argues for one and cites all the changes that have taken place over the last two and half years as reason enough for a new election to be held. He argues that the mandate the ANC was elected on in the 2019 general election is no longer what is needed.
Mathekga cites economic changes, rising inflation, rising unemployment, the onset of the coronavirus, the State Capture Report, the failure in national security that led to the 2021 July riots, and other factors as reasons enough for a snap election to be called.
He writes that a snap election need not be a call for regime change but a chance for a government to be elected based on a new mandate to tackle the ever-pressing problems of the current socio-economic and political zeitgeist.
Mathekga writes it is too long to wait until the 2024 general elections and a snap election is urgently needed.
We have all bemoaned state-owned enterprises at one time or another as they continue to be run poorly, drain the state’s coffers and continuously need taxpayer-funded bailouts to stay afloat.
Semi-privatisation and stricter stipulations and guidelines for bailouts have been proposed by the government to stem the tide of failure that has washed over SOEs, but it all moves at a snail’s pace, writes Business Day.
The newspaper writes government needs to move with haste on its plans for privatisation and implementing controls to turn around SOEs so that SA can achieve economic growth and prosperity through further job creation.
The sooner we can stop bailing out and wasting money on SOEs the sooner we can get back to the business of creating a better South Africa.
Here’s a round-up of what we’re reading:
A failed state and anarchy: Government leading SA into a more dangerous space – The Citizen (for subscribers)
ANC’s policy document wish list may yet alter South Africa’s future for the better – Daily Maverick
DUMA GQUBULE: Reading ANC discussion documents is sheer torture – Business Day (for subscribers)
Carol Paton | This could be the last roll of the dice for the ANC – Fin24 (for subscribers)
TOM EATON: The ANC as last chance saloon for yesterday’s wannabe heroes – Business Day (for subscribers)
This is what’s known about monkeypox, smallpox’s cousin – Sunday Times Daily (for subscribers)
Q&A | Psychologist Saths Cooper on Stellenbosch incident: ‘We need to rethink our education system’ – News24 (for subscribers)
(Picture: Gallo Images)
