Broad+input,+Nyiko+Floyd+Shivambu,+Business+Day

Business Day, Johannesburg, Letters, 29 September 2006
=Broad input=

I have noticed very worrying and ignorant sentiments about the expectations centred on Jacob Zuma as the supposed presidential candidate for the African National Congress (ANC) and the country.

Many commentators persistently call for Zuma to present his political-economic policy positions and outline some quasi-manifesto on what he is going to do as president.

This is worrying because, despite the media hype, Zuma has never said he wants to be president of the ANC and the country, nor has the ANC commenced with the process of nominations prior to its national congress.

Even if Zuma were to be nominated, accept the nomination and subsequently emerge as the ANC’s and the country’s president, he would not come up with a grand plan on South African economic reforms and other important aspects of national governance. As the ruling party, the ANC and its alliance partners give policy directives and guidelines to their elected representatives on what economic strategies and methods to pursue and implement.

There is presently common ground in the Growth Development Summit, which outlines unequivocally what direction SA should take economically. Issues that are being raised by the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party on the nationalisation of some industries are still to be debated, not only within the ANC but in the broader society.

It would be wrong if at any stage we were to abdicate our responsibilities, as various sectors of society, to influence government policy matters, to leave it to a single person who is president at the time. What role are we then leaving for political parties and society at large?

Democracy goes beyond casting votes every five years and entails that the broader society assumes a responsibility to significantly impact on how the nation should be governed.

Wits University**
 * Nyiko Floyd Shivambu


 * From: [|http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/opinion.aspx?ID=BD4A280076]**

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