Democracy is essentially about accountability and about making political élites responsive to their citizens. It does not assume that responsiveness to citizens is a product of good politicians. Rather, it assumes that this may not always be the case, and establishes institutional mechanisms that act as a check on elected leaders. Some of these mechanisms, such as opposition parties and regular elections, are meant to create a level of political uncertainty for political leaders, prompting them to win over citizens by becoming responsive to their concerns. Others, like the judiciary and the Public Protector, are meant to ensure that all comply with the collectively determined social compact, the Constitution, and subsequently with the legislation enacted in terms of it. How well these institutions do this is a measure of the strength of our democracy. Responses from government to the recent release of the Nkandla Report by the Public Protector’s Office are a stark reminder that, 20 years on, we still have a long way to go in this regard.

On the economic front, the widespread cynicism of both the political and economic elites has not gone unnoticed in the world. Foreign investors have become increasingly sceptical of South Africa’s economic prospects, as have rating agencies, especially because of the political instability emanating from the widespread resentment in the society. Direct investment has plummeted, as have growth rates, making manifest our day of reckoning even to the most politically oblivious corporate economists in the country. Yet, we are not predestined to make bad choices. It is possible for our political and economic elites to transcend their narrow short-term interests, and make decisions that could place us on the path to an economically sustainable, more inclusive, and less fractitious society. Such decisions would require the establishment of a social democratic political economy, which is a necessary prerequisite for South Africa, to comprehensively deal with the challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment. Although this was acknowledged at the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) national conferences in 2007 and 2012, and some elements of a social democratic platform have gradually been adopted, this economic perspective is still constantly challenged within the ruling party by individuals and factions that advocate fiscal conservatism in the guise of financial prudence. This battle for the economic soul of the ANC has to be resolved. Related to this is the need for a new social pact to be cemented between business, labour and the State.