Failing Democracy

The two reports on the Insight page in the Cape Times of 2 August highlight the dire state of our democracy. Our MPs (who supposedly represent us) are remote and inaccessible, and seldom (If ever) hold report-back meetings in their constituencies. Why is this? Although your writers do not spell this out, this is because they are not directly elected by voters in constituencies -- hence the failure in accountability. They are elected on a party-list system, where what matters is their position on a party list. All power to the party, in other words! MPs may in theory be assigned to constituencies, and perhaps they are supposed to open constituency offices -- but there is little incentive to take this seriously. At election time they don't even bother to campaign or hold meetings: the media just follow the party leaders around the country. All this is deeply disempowering to ordinary citizens: how many even know who their MP is, or if there is a constituency office? In short, the party-list system is good at providing proportional representation (and ensuring some representation for small parties ) -- but it is in practice very bad for democracy. Some years ago van Zyl Slabbert chaired a Commission that produced a report and made some useful suggestions. Perhaps it needs to be dusted off and looked at again? But perhaps the ANC is quite content with things as they are? (If so, what a disastrous miscalculation!)