The Challenge of National Interest vs Party Interests

It is wrongly assumed that a governing party, a country’s leader, or the largest ethnic community’s interests are the same as the public or the national interest.

This is rarely true. Similarly, a dominant group, ethnic community or political party interests are different from the public or collective national interest.

For a country to prosper, it needs to be governed in the broad national interest.

The challenge for serious governing parties and leaders is how to genuinely prioritise their nation’s best interests.

Failing African and developing countries often confuse dominant party, leader, favoured ideology or largest community interests with that of their nation.

African liberation and independence movements – and splinters thereof – are particularly prone to falling into this trap.

This view is also often imbibed by opposition parties when they take over from liberation and independence governments.

In diverse societies with histories of conflict, and parties based largely on past divisions, the national interest should never be assumed to be those of the governing party.

THE ANC

In South Africa, the ruling ANC’s failure over the past 30 years has been the belief that the party’s or leader’s interests – especially in the case of former president Jacob Zuma – represent the national interest.

As a result, many ANC government decisions, policies and programmes have been partisan and have harmed South Africa’s national interest.

This has led to a rejection or lack of implementation of many of the party’s policies, decisions and programmes.

They have been perceived by non-ANC constituencies as patently in the ANC’s constituency interest.

The successful implementation of policies hinges on an ecosystem of collaboration between the governing party and state on the one hand, and opposition parties and non-state stakeholders on the other – business, civil society, communities and citizens.

In public discourse, narrow, partisan ideologies, decisions and policies are often wrongly seen by many citizens as in the national interest.

Individuals with views that are genuinely in the national interest, but go against those of the dominant party, are often rejected, depriving society of game-changing views, ideas and policies.

The successful implementation of government programmes, especially in diverse societies, demands policies in the best interest of all.

Only when leaders actively pursue the broad national interest can countries secure sustainable development, long periods of high economic growth, industrialisation and social peace.

THE QUEST FOR CONSENSUS

Unsurprisingly, countries that emerge from conflict and introduce governing mechanisms, policies and programmes in the national interest – such as coalitions, national social pacts and government of national unity structures – have been more successful in delivering inclusive development and social peace.

Examples include post-World War 2 Japan or Germany or post-economic crisis Ireland or post-colonial Mauritius.

On the other hand, in the post-colonial period most African countries have taken majority-based, rather than consensus-based decisions – whether from a liberation, ethnic group, military or ideological standpoint.

This has generally resulted in devastating failure.

Since Liberia became the continent’s first independent country on 26 July 1847, majority rule in Africa has led to failed states, civil wars and mass poverty.

It is critical that South Africa’s new Government of National Unity (GNU) genuinely makes all decisions on what is best for the country.

The GNU has adopted consensus, rather than majority-based decision-making as its model.

Consensus-based decisions are more likely to produce outcomes in the widest interest of all of society.

Furthermore, it will produce better quality policies, a wider societal embrace of decisions and therefore more successful implementation.

– William Gumede, associate professor, School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand and author of ‘Restless Nation: Making Sense of Troubled Times’.