Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has been appointed by António Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, to serve on his newly formed scientific advisory board.
“This board consists of seven scientists who will advise on emerging scientific issues to maximise advances for the global good,” deputy president Paul Mashatile said. He was speaking at the national dialogue of coalition governments held at the University of the Western Cape.
Mashatile congratulated Madonsela: “You have done our country proud. We are confident that you will fly the national flag even higher. Your appointment illustrates the fact that we are a nation that has everything it takes to rise to greater heights.”
Madonsela is speaking at the dialogue, organised by the presidency to work out a framework to better run coalition governments while many municipalities are dysfunctional as parties are unable to work together.
Madonsela is introducing political parties before they speak on their proposals on how to improve coalition governments.
She said: “We are painfully watching our democracy distend into a dystopia. A key factor in our winter of disconnect is the dysfunctionality of government, particularly at local government.”
Unstable coalitions are negatively affecting service delivery, Madonsela said.
She said parties would be discussing what they thought would be the driving principles of a good coalition and what they considered the non-negotiable guardrails of SA’s democracy.
She finalised her speech saying the constitution provided guard rails for coalition agreements. Yet even with the constitution, “we are experiencing dysphoria and a dystopian government. It is not the constitution at fault, but its implementation”.
“You are here to recommit ourselves and everyone to a new path,” she told politicians, leaders and MPs attending the event.
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