PPA ruling: Listening to the people is the essence of democracy
The question before the court was not the detail of the Bill, but that the government had decided to throw democracy under the bus.
The judicial system once again stepped in to prevent society from being thrown into turmoil by politicians. Yesterday, it ruled against the Public Procurement Act (PPA), concluding that parliament did not provide the public with a reasonable chance to engage in the law-making process. The PPA aimed to establish a unified framework governing procurement by state entities, including municipalities.
Upon signing the legislation in June 2024, the government sought to control how goods and services were procured and expenditures managed. The apex court's focus was not on the bill's specifics, but on the government's attempt to abandon democracy to push it through. Despite receiving over 2,000 public comments, only 20% were taken into account, which the court deemed inadequate participation.
Consequently, the court dismissed the bill. This instance, the legal system thwarted governmental dictatorship. In a previous case, it was the public that effectively said "No!" when the SA National Roads Agency sought to implement the e-toll program without adequate consultation. The essence of democracy lies in listening to the people.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
