The struggle for total participatory democracy has to be intensified

Sir
The outcome of 2016 local government elections has opened a new chapter in the political landscape of our country.
Coalition arrangements spreading throughout the country poses a new challenge to our nascent and maturing democracy, particularly with regards to deepen and consolidate participatory democracy. People have spoken – the nation must match the new challenge precipitated by an inclusive or mult-party democracy, communities must champion oversight roles as per provisions of our country’s constitution and relevant legislations.
The innovative and conscious role of community-based organisation must be invigorated in order to monitor compliance and adherence to all legislations of our country.
We are a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law, the vibrant and dynamic civil society movement must emerge in order to give orders to all public representatives irrespective of their political allegiance.
Local government is at the coalface of service delivery thus local communities must dictate the nature and form of required services. The struggle for total participatory democracy has to be intensified so as to make public representative to be accountable to communities.
Campaigns like public service charter, citizen’s charter and others must be promoted as a means and ways of liberating our people from bad governance, corruption, nepotism, cronyism and other miseries.
Mzwakhe Sithebe