Democracy is about the ‘majority’: Mashatile
Newly appointed Deputy President Paul Mashatile chided the opposition for complaints that Parliament was not fulfilling its mandate to hold the executive to account, telling them: ‘Let’s allow the National Assembly to be able to take decisions in a democratic way. And democracy means majority rules.’
The context was an exchange around the African National Congress (ANC) having used its majority to stymie a Parliamentary probe into the conduct of President Cyril Ramaphosa relating to the holding and theft of a large amount of foreign currency on his farm.
Mashatile said that probes were ongoing, to which the Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance, Siviwe Gwarube, asked ‘about Parliament’s role in terms of investigating the President in spite of the fact that there are concurrent investigations taking place. What of our constitutional obligations?’
Mashatile responded: ‘I think that’s how democracy works, the majority must have its way… Democracy works that way. Maybe when you have an opportunity to govern you understand … When the ANC believes its course is correct it will use its majority to push those decisions… Remember that winning positions and decisions is something you win out there during the elections. So, when you campaign and you win, you already win here. If you lose there [elections], you have already lost here. It’s democracy. It works like that all over the world. Let’s allow the National Assembly to be able to take decisions in a democratic way. And democracy means majority rules.’
Commenting on this, Marianne Merten wrote in Daily Maverick: ‘This response highlights the governing ANC’s fault lines – the presidential untouchability, the closing of ranks under pressure, and majoritarianism as a backstop for decision-making amid declining public trust and confidence.’
Although Merten links this to the Zuma presidency – in 2012, the former president said ‘You have more rights because you’re a majority; you have less rights because you’re a minority. That’s how democracy works’ – such tendencies have been on display since the early years of democracy. Parliament in particular has exercised very patchy oversight on the executive. (This article provides a brief summary of the issue.)
