The point of democracy and its election of public representatives is to deliver to citizens a government that can be trusted with power and money, render services that improve lives and provide as little interference as possible in the people’s day-to-day lives.
The Western Cape Government’s Rapid Schools Programme is a shining example of the first two outcomes of democracy and its elections.
David Maynier is a welcome difference from his often-combatant predecessor. Their successful application to the National Treasury will result in the building of 21 new schools and 289 additional classrooms for children in the Western Cape.
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit an NGO ECD facility in Mfuleni, built with similar technology. It is revolutionary. Rapid build programmes in underserved communities are a major game-changer. This brings me to a few additional observations. This programme has the technology to construct spaces that are fit for human habitation. It also seems to have overcome the delays and disruptions caused by the construction Mafia. So why is this technology not adapted and applied to housing?
The Western Cape Human Settlements Department and the City’s housing department should be scrambling to get the technology and adapt it for permanent human habitation. This is the point of democratic elections: governments are elected to render services that improve lives. The decades-old and 600 000 people-long housing waiting list now sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison to its education counterparts. There are globally innovative, better ways to address people’s housing needs.
The way, however, that the same government is dealing with urban homelessness is tragic. The recent forced removal of homeless people might tick all the legal boxes, but it destroys all the human understanding boxes. It is “2024 legal”, but the optics are “1948 legal”. It makes the progressive Alan Winde and Geordin Hill-Lewis look like they are backed up by a “can't be done, minister” squad of thinkers on homelessness. Like the solutions that the WCED found to their pupil accommodation crisis, the two housing departments should go on similar cognitive explorations.
They too could produce accommodation for the 600 000 people on the waiting list within a very short time. There are examples of rapid housing units all over the world. Why is it not being done in South Africa?
Elections are about getting people and parties into power that can manage money and power well, rapidly render services people need, and then stay out of their lives. Across South Africa, we have battles for power and money among political parties. I find it infuriating when, while watching television interviews or listening to radio interviews about the elections, politicians and interviewer end up laughing. Or are treated with kid gloves.
At schools, they have a programme where, when you fail, you can still get promoted. Elections are not a promotion programme for failed politicians. It’s not an, “Oh, let’s give them another chance, they have really tried this year” event. Go stand at the worst points in your city, province, and country, and ask yourself: “What has this government done with their power, money and services for these people?” It is how we begin to vote to change and, hopefully, correct the outcome of our elections and have people in power who govern us well.
If, as a voter, you have not seen any improvement in your economic, employment, education, housing or health conditions over the last five years, ask yourself why you should be voting for the party in power. That's how change begins.
Rapid schools are a success story. Safe and efficient scholar transport is still a failure. Homeless people should not invade public open spaces. Very early help offered to homeless people is the game-changer. Politicians are doing “non-challenging, charming” interviews. They laugh their way out the door. Meanwhile, we, the voters, remain a brutalised people.
* Lorenzo A. Davids.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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