ANC blew every chance to fix Mangaung, so why should we trust them now?

Let’s be honest, nobody really cares about ol’ Bloemfontein.

If, however, Jozi or Cape Town went under provincial administration, failed again, and were then put under national administration, the press would have a field day. Today, however, you’d be forgiven for not knowing that Mangaung has spent 2 years under provincial administration, let alone that it was just placed under national administration.

Also Read: Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality placed under administration a day before Ramaphosa’s visit

It’s the secret way to eat: Keep everybody focused on who gets a slice of the fillet, so nobody really cares when you fill your plate with chips, and the Free State has many chips to offer. Just ask Ace,

Digging one millimetre deeper, you might start to feel as hopeless as I do about the matter.

Goody gumdrops! A whole national government is placed in charge of this small metro! Surely all that brain power will be a massive help!

That’s until you realise that it’s the same brain power that, erm… y’know… Delivered South African staples such as load shedding, national water shortages, entire uncontested riots, and that’s before even considering the party’s beloved C-word.

So like, what’s the point?

But the question can be expanded beyond Mangaung.  Really.

What is the point of municipalities if the same people (or at least body) who runs the nation is allowed to run the province or municipality? That question also works if you place an “i” somewhere in run.

Political scientists may be at the edge of their seats shouting at me about some or other intrinsic theoretical democratic nuance, though the proof is in the pothole.

Also Read: Cyril reaches out in Mangaung

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a good reason to allow the same people to run a country and a province and a municipality, but the current operation makes it seem like some old arcade game where these equal lives. If you screw up the municipality, no stress, you get an extra life and can have your provincial people screw it up again and after that, play your third life and get your national people in to do the job.

All the while, you can have your factions do their thing. I wish that video of the former municipal manager being booted out of his office by the municipality’s metro police went more viral. If for nothing else, it would probably be the first time most people in Mangaung would even be aware of the existence of a metro police service.

What’s that incredible African proverb about elephants and grass again?

Yet, here we are, armed with a system that allows the perpetuation of a failed body to fail time and again and it’s so weird to me. I mean, it’s the provincial people who came to the rescue of their own people and then, upon failure, their own people come to the rescue again. Perhaps I’m not being fair.

I have had a terrible Cream Soda float at Spur on the Eastern Cape but a delicious one at a Spur in Gauteng. I just don’t think that the administration of a municipality is the same as getting a treat that briefly takes you back to your childhood, even if it feels like the municipality is being run by children.

And all this ignores the inevitable next level. Has the ANC run out of lives in Mangaung? If the national government fails, who takes over?

What would failure constitute or how would it (or even success) be measured? Do they get a fresh batch of lives after the next election? It’s all so confusing and assumes so much, but at the end of the day, Mangaung does not seem to be getting any better.

So here’s a plan.

Because surely the placement of a municipality under administration is a statement of failure. If, however, it’s the same body in charge that places its municipality under administration, it’s more than a statement.

It’s an admission. What we effectively have is a provincial government admitting that its municipality failed and then a national government admitting their province failed.

And with all that failure, and admission thereof, how is it possibly that the system still allows them to run.

At some point, the system should have the ability to red card a party, even temporarily. It doesn’t matter if the fans love them. It shouldn’t matter if the franchise money spinners. What should matter is the sanctity of the game.

In this case, the game is democracy and those running Mangaung from local to national level are playing the game with the cheat code on, enabling infinite lives.