Fear not South Africans.. As an Indian living in South Africa for many years now, i notice the apprehension and slight confusion that is surrounding the current political situation in this country.. This situation is all too familiar to me and other fellow indians in SA.. We can draw many parallels in the current democratic structure of SA that resembles what the Indian political system used to go through..

Similar to SA, when India achieved its independence in 1947 we had the INC or the Indian National Congress that was at that time the single largest party.. This was the party that brought freedom to the country and this was the party that carried all the major stalwarts of the then Indian politics like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad etc etc (akin to Nelson Mandela, Albert Luthuli etc).. Although there were many divisions, the Congress Party managed to remain the single largest party for quite a few years.. 

However with the difference of opinions between the major players within the party, the Congress has now many splinter groups.. No single party in India has managed to win an absolute majority for the past 15-20 years and India has been ruled by coalition governments since then.. This is the way the democracy progresses.. Many interim Prime Ministers have come and gone, the parliment has been dissolved several times, many parties have ruled and gone – but democracy still prevails even if it confuses the comman man..

i am not saying that SA would follow the same route, but South Africans must get used to the idea and possibility that SA is a democratic country and such changes are possible and sometimes inevitable.. So fear not.. SA still has a long way to go and am sure SA will make it..

Filed under Category: democracy, india, politics, south africa and Tags: coalition, democracy, politics, south africa by manaadiar || Date : 23rd September 2008 ||