Reinventing Committed Politicians of Conviction

THE founders of the US constitution, notably James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, displayed a high degree of distaste for political parties, believing that they would promote conflict and destroy the underlying unity of society.Similarly John Stuart Mills, a liberal, expressed his concern that, as collective bodies, parties necessarily suppress freedom of thought and individual conscience.

Increasingly, I have come share this particular view when I listen to the venom that comes from political leaders in our country. Perhaps, political parties are not bad per se, but we are witnessing the degeneration of politics, and by extension politicians, into the banal.In order to rescue politics as a profession, the French have shown a high preponderance for the intellectual life of their politicians.In shorthand, it means that the test of a sound and serious politician is the amount of knowledge (policy and general) he (or she) possesses.On the whole, values play an important role in the constitution of serious politicians.Alas, intellectual content and values are the least of our concerns in the recruitment of young and old politicians in our political parties.The consequence of such a culture is that we have experienced politicians refusing to mould younger politicians on the basis of convictions and values that underpin our republic.On the contrary, some in the older generation seek to appeal to younger politicians or other sections of the party in order to enjoy more electoral appeal at party congresses.Such a culture poses a danger to the kind of politicians that we would want to see as a democracy as the young emerging class wants to lead without any ethical content.The ethical content that we should plead for and emphasise on the part of our politicians find in part lucid expression in Thabo Mbeki’s farewell letter to Cabinet in which he says: “I plead that in addition to what I have already said in this letter, you should do everything you can, constantly to: affirm your personal integrity, refusing to succumb to the expedient; Assert your commitment to principle, rejecting opportunism and cowardice.”Being tempted by or succumbing to the expedient, and not rejecting opportunism and cowardice, our politics has emptied our politicians of any meaningful values or a sense of political morality.The absence of these strong values and convictions, and importantly the courage to fight for these, has led to a situation in which politics has come to be seen as a process through which individuals access power and material resources.For some it is a game.This vision has led to a certain generalised hypocrisy and a bubble approach in the way in which we deal with each other.While ours is a system of political parties, it still important for the politician to exist because he or she has a certain vision of the country.To exist because of one’s ideas and not as a bubblegum leader, would entail that a politician must be prepared to defend these values and ideas, even in the face of the tyranny of the party or vampire politics.A serious politician is not one who is concerned with longevity in office, nor does he or she compromise principle in the face of the tyranny of the majority.Alas, individuals whose raison d’être is not a commitment to principle and the defence of our democratic order as we agreed at independence, but rather individuals who constantly flip-flop on these important values now populate our politics.Again, in the face, rather, of what is fashionable in the party.So, the younger politicians consume and follow leaders in a manner that is short-term.Essentially, the factions that we see in our political parties are not the consequence of ideas on the part of conviction as it should be, but is rather motley of individuals who share a certain sectarian hatred and fear of others.Oftentimes, it is also based on an observation of what we assume to be the preferred section of the party led by a revered leader or the faction that seem to be on the up.In search of acceptance by the factions that seem to be on the rise, we give up on the republic and a progressive vision of politics.Thus, our country is now in need of committed, brave conviction politicians to return politics to its raison-d’être: values, principles and service.In short, we need these politicians to exist as individuals and not necessarily as members of a sect.* Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris- Panthéon Sorbonne, France.Perhaps, political parties are not bad per se, but we are witnessing the degeneration of politics, and by extension politicians, into the banal.In order to rescue politics as a profession, the French have shown a high preponderance for the intellectual life of their politicians.In shorthand, it means that the test of a sound and serious politician is the amount of knowledge (policy and general) he (or she) possesses.On the whole, values play an important role in the constitution of serious politicians.Alas, intellectual content and values are the least of our concerns in the recruitment of young and old politicians in our political parties.The consequence of such a culture is that we have experienced politicians refusing to mould younger politicians on the basis of convictions and values that underpin our republic.On the contrary, some in the older generation seek to appeal to younger politicians or other sections of the party in order to enjoy more electoral appeal at party congresses.Such a culture poses a danger to the kind of politicians that we would want to see as a democracy as the young emerging class wants to lead without any ethical content.The ethical content that we should plead for and emphasise on the part of our politicians find in part lucid expression in Thabo Mbeki’s farewell letter to Cabinet in which he says: “I plead that in addition to what I have already said in this letter, you should do everything you can, constantly to: affirm your personal integrity, refusing to succumb to the expedient; Assert your commitment to principle, rejecting opportunism and cowardice.”Being tempted by or succumbing to the expedient, and not rejecting opportunism and cowardice, our politics has emptied our politicians of any meaningful values or a sense of political morality.The absence of these strong values and convictions, and importantly the courage to fight for these, has led to a situation in which politics has come to be seen as a process through which individuals access power and material resources.For some it is a game.This vision has led to a certain generalised hypocrisy and a bubble approach in the way in which we deal with each other.While ours is a system of political parties, it still important for the politician to exist because he or she has a certain vision of the country.To exist because of one’s ideas and not as a bubblegum leader, would entail that a politician must be prepared to defend these values and ideas, even in the face of the tyranny of the party or vampire politics.A serious politician is not one who is concerned with longevity in office, nor does he or she compromise principle in the face of the tyranny of the majority.Alas, individuals whose raison d’être is not a commitment to principle and the defence of our democratic order as we agreed at independence, but rather individuals who constantly flip-flop on these important values now populate our politics.Again, in the face, rather, of what is fashionable in the party.So, the younger politicians consume and follow leaders in a manner that is short-term.Essentially, the factions that we see in our political parties are not the consequence of ideas on the part of conviction as it should be, but is rather motley of individuals who share a certain sectarian hatred and fear of others.Oftentimes, it is also based on an observation of what we assume to be the preferred section of the party led by a revered leader or the faction that seem to be on the up.In search of acceptance by the factions that seem to be on the rise, we give up on the republic and a progressive vision of politics.Thus, our country is now in need of committed, brave conviction politicians to return politics to its raison-d’être: values, principles and service.In short, we need these politicians to exist as individuals and not necessarily as members of a sect.* Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris- Panthéon Sorbonne, France.