By Kabelo Mollo
And so, the negotiations are done, cabinet has been expanded and the RFP government lives to fight another day. For many of us voters, we must endure yet another unstable coalition that will spend more time trying to stay afloat than actually delivering services.
And so the question will linger insidiously in the background “what was the point?”. What was the point of Sam Matekane entering this arena? What was the point of promising a revolution if, many of the old actors are back in the mix? What was the point of dreaming of a new, well lit, well run Mountain Kingdom?
We are a year in to the “revolution” and save for some fancy new street lights (and we are grateful for them) we can’t really point to any new shiny things we can be proud of. Perhaps we could talk of tractors that are going to plough fields, and an almost successful youth employment seminar.
But aside from that it strikes me that there have been a series of near misses. Many amongst the masses are still willing this administration all of the best. Many are still counting their blessings relating to what might have been had they not won. But that feel good factor is waning. And even more than that it’s getting easier to nit-pick the errors made by the higher ups.
There’s a school of thought that bemoans the new coalition agreement because the belief is had the RFP government pressed on with the reforms as a priority item, we would not be here. It’s all well and good blaming the opposition for scuppering the items that required two thirds majority, but why haven’t the RFP passed the motions that required a simple majority? What is the average voter to make of the party with the numbers being unable to pass laws that would go some way in ensuring stability reins? It’s a touch disconcerting to be only a year in and writing columns like this…
For their part, the ever so opportunistic opposition almost got their motion of no confidence over the line. I wonder whether they’ll be emboldened by having got so close, or deflated by not having got it passed. Either way, they will review the situation and undoubtedly come back with a plot twist no one expects. They will once again use sleight of hand as a tactic and again we will be aghast by what they conjure up.
It’s comical to me that rather than using performance and service delivery as a benchmark, politicians instead choose to use chicanery and subterfuge. That’s what creates the distance between the political elites and the man on the street.
The politics are about positions, not about service to the people. It is totemic of this situation that the PM has seemingly decided to freeze the appointment of deputy ministers after many supporters and party apparatchiks decided that their candidates were the only ones deserving of high office. The clamour wasn’t so much about delivery track records so much as it was about personalities. People want proximity to power so as to leverage it for their own gains. “We don’t hate corruption, we hate not benefiting from it”.
We will carry on willing the government stability and hoping it will deliver on its promises. We will keep a brave face as the highs and lows occur. With any luck, there will be a wave of optimism that hits us. From where, I don’t know, but I’m hopeful…
