Democracy can be such a bother
In a democracy the pesky members of the media report on the improprieties of politicians (both the proven and rumoured variety) without having to fear imprisonment, assassination or closure of their newspaper.
If one is a politician – the President of the country or the head of the Police, say – living in a democracy can be quite a bother. Stuff reported in the media becomes part of the political reality and must be addressed, otherwise voters will inevitably assume that the media reports are correct.
President Thabo Mbeki does not seem to get this last point.
He is reported to have told religious leaders yesterday that they should trust him to do the right thing on Jackie Selebi and added that he did not want Selebi to be tried by the media.
If he has information clearing Mr Selebi’s name he should let us know what it is. He can call a press conference this afternoon and allow journalists to drill him, like they do in the UK and the USA.
By asking us to trust him because he knows best, President Mbeki is acting in a patronising and profoundly disrespectful way.
There is, of course, a vast difference between being convicted of a crime in a court of law, and merely acting in an unwise and suspicious manner. It is therefore disingenuous to say that Selebi is being tried by the media merely because the media is reporting on the fact that he is friends with an alleged mafia boss arrested for murder.
What the media is doing is fulfilling its appointed role in a democracy, namely to inform the public about important matters of national concern.
The Police Commissioner and the President are accountable to us – the people – and they therefore have a duty to respond openly and transparently to this new reality created by news reports. If they don't, we have a right to assume that they have something to hide.
Yes, it’s a nuisance. Yes, it may tarnish Mr Selebi’s name. Yes, reporting can be sensationalistic. But that is the price to pay for a free press and a vibrant democracy.
Because we live in a democracy we do not have to trust our politicians. We have a right to demand answers and if those answers don't come, we have a right to fire those in charge.
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2 comments:
Nice piece. Curious to see that you call us a vibrant democracy. Really?
As a lay person who knows little about LAW, I understand that there is a term commonly refered to as SUB JUDICE rule. I believe this rule means that the merits or demerits of a court case will not be discussed in public, until the presiding Judge has ruled on the matter.The questions that arises from this are; Was the President respecting this rule in asking to be trusted by the religious leaders? Did the President mean we should have faith in our judicial system? Finally is the information in the public domain accurate? The answers to these questions are important in dtermining fact from fiction. We as the public seem to choose what we feel benefit our agenda's, because there were reports that Agliotti is/was a police informant. After all why wasn't Agliotti taken to Sun City prison like other awaiting trial prisoners? You guess is as good as mine. As my Ethics lecture always say "PATIENTS IS A VIRTUE".
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