Democracy: More than just elections

Brigalia Bam’s name is synonymous with the independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Understandably so-she spent 14 years at the IEC, two years as a commissioner and 12 as its chairperson.

Long before the IEC and a post-apartheid South Africa even became a reality, Brigalia was honing her leadership skills, along with her passionate activism. Democracy more than just elections is also an account of Brigalia’ s journey from rural Transkei to a leader of world organisations such as the Young Women’s Christian Association(nationally and internationally), the Word Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland as well as the International Union federation. After living abroad for 21 years Brigalia returned home to become general secretary of the SA Council of Churches and later to join the IEC.

As a young girl, from around the age of 10, she supervised teams of young married women, older than her who worked in her family’s fields, including managing their time. She wrote letters on their behalf to their husbands who were away working on the mines and as a result she gained the respect of those who were older than her. This enabled her to relate to many different people, of all ages. It equipped her with valuable life skills and the ability to serve people, which became critical to the leadership roles she would later occupy at various organisations like the Young Women’s Christian Association, the World Council of Churches and the International Union Federation. After living in Europe for 21 years she returned to South Africa and joined the South African Council of Church.

The book is also an account of the IEC’s success in managing elections in South Africa as well as meeting challenging situations in some of the most troubled parts of Africa, either by providing technical assistance or serving as election observers.

The ‘burning issues’ and challenges that she faced are chronicled in the book, from the toilet wars in the Western Cape and Free State to Tlokwe, a convoluted saga that continues today. She discusses the link between service delivery protests and elections, boundary demarcation battles and other contentious issues that tested her integrity.

The book is a plea to South Africans to recognise that women are a powerful force in advancing democracy; that their leadership roles must be encouraged and nurtured. It is also presents an argument for a new electoral system for South Africa, one that will encourage greater responsibility and accountability from all levels of society.

Democracy more just elections also presents an argument for a review of the current electoral system in South Africa

“She gives an insider account of the challenges, successes and pitfalls of an a credible independent constitutional body, dubbed, the ‘ cornerstone of democracy’.” Professor Barney Pityana.

How to Fix South Africa

What will it take to fix South Africa? This is the probing question concerned South Africans everywhere ask. While most South Africans have varying opinions about what the country needs, many will agree that unemployment, especially that of the youth, is chronic, and one of our most critical issues. Many also agree that jobs are not expected to be forthcoming from traditional sources of employment and that a more innovative approach has to be adopted.

The Sunday Times, in its bid to highlight this issue and seek positive solutions, posed this question to a number of leading thinkers and opinion-makers in the country. Their responses appeared as part of the “Each One Hire One” series of articles published in The Sunday Times early in 2012. These well considered, thought-provoking articles were contributed by, amongst others, key figures in politics, mining, banking and social development and have now been published in this volume.

Author Information:
Ray Hartley began his journalism career as a boxing writer for the Weekly Mail (Mail & Guardian). Ray worked briefly at Business Day before joining The Sunday Times as Political Reporter in 1993 and covered Nelson Mandela’s presidency as the newspaper’s political correspondent based in Parliament. He was The Sunday Times’ Cape Town Bureau Chief, Political Editor, Managing Editor and Deputy Editor before becoming the launch Editor of The Times, The Sunday Times’ daily newspaper in 2007. He is currently an Editor at large at Times Media.

“Let us choose to work together, support each other, and create synergies ammg us so we can each make our humble contribution to a better and proud South Africa.” Pravin Gordhan