Points of Irony Sharing Office Space with Cllr Achmat Williams of The

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Points of Irony Sharing office space with Cllr Achmat Williams of the National Party South Africa is interesting. When some politicians make the news for all the wrong reasons, Cllr Williams always has a story to tell. That Pierre Uys the African National Congress [ANC] Chief Whips and the Democratic Alliance [DA] Chief Whip Mark Wiley blame the other’s party for mischief is highly ironic. Few people know that both these politicians were important leaders in the former National Party in the dark days of Apartheid. According to Cllr Williams the question, can a leopard change its spots have been answered by these two Apartheid era politicians as they battle it out for attention on the floor of the provincial legislature. While those who suffered under Apartheid continue to struggle to eke out a living with high rates, water and electricity costs, there are others who benefitted from Apartheid who continue to benefit. Since ordinary voter has no power to dictate what persons represent them in the provincial or national parliament, perhaps the time has come to review our electoral process. Since Cllrs are elected via direct and proportional voting, can the same rules not apply to parliamentarians? With this option, the electorate knows exactly on whose behalf Marius Fransman and others speaks when they refer to “the people” or “the poorest of the poor”. Pierre Uys could also clarify on whose behalf he interrupted Helen Zille while the rest of us were trying to listen to the Premier speech. Perhaps the Cape Times conduct a survey to determine how many parliamentarians really work in a township or district to which they are assigned. Only at election time do we see them scurrying about to impress party leaders. While it is obvious what Cllrs are doing or not doing, what work in reality do parliamentarians do beside interrupt each other with futile calls for points of order and so on. In the words of the wise, the term honourable used in parliament should imply admirable, moral, respectful, and principled. Onlookers saw very little of that in the Provincial and National SONA. Cllr Yagyah Adams Cape Muslim Congress .

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