Double Standards: Media Bias in Reporting Ministerial Qualifications
Unequal Scrutiny in the Spotlight
BusinessTech released a list of all the ministers and their qualifications. The Democratic Alliance (DA) was the only party with ministers without a university qualification. This sparked outrage as many believed the media continued to paint the African National Congress (ANC) as incompetent but failed to do the same for the DA.
The DA has continued to advocate for the removal of cadre deployment, believing contracts should be awarded on merit and not political connections. It would be assumed that the same political party would ensure to have the most qualified individuals lead the party.
Additionally, the media continued to call out the ANC for their lack of qualifications, pushing for qualified individuals to take ministerial posts in hopes of making South Africa more functional. However, they failed to hold the DA to the same account and allowed them to go under the radar.
Both John Steenhuisen, leader of the DA, and Dean Macpherson only have a matric qualification, yet both hold major ministerial positions. John Steenhuisen, appointed the Minister of Agriculture, now oversees an industry worth approximately R730 million. Dean Macpherson, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, oversees major developmental projects, with the President calling for a R1.6 trillion investment in public infrastructure.
Both these ministers have the capacity to alter the path that South Africa is on. Their lack of qualifications should be called into question prior to the work they intend to implement. Historically, the lack of qualifications has led to outcries from the media and major pressure on the presidency to rectify such decisions.
In 2017, President Jacob Zuma fired then-Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Deputy Minister Mcebisi Jonas, replacing them with Malusi Gigaba. The rand went from R12.80/$ on Thursday to R13.36. Part of this was due to the hysteria created by the media. Malusi Gigaba, though not holding a degree related to finance, holds a degree in education.
Parties that were opposed to the ANC prior to the formation of the Government of National Unity, such as the DA, called for more qualified ministers and leaders. It would have been expected that the DA would have more scrutiny of its leaders and the positions they hold.
Furthermore, Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala shows a greater degree of qualification, holding a BA in Communication, a Bachelor of Administration Honors degree (cum laude) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and a Master’s degree in Commerce. It is clear that a more qualified minister was forced to take a deputy post for political reasons.
The hypocrisy becomes apparent. The DA was unwilling to accept the appointment of individuals based on political connections. But at their first opportunity to access government and cabinet, they almost instantly dropped this principle they had pushed the ANC for over the last 20 years.
However, this is not to say that the ANC is in the clear. The appointment of certain ministers has been brought into question. Angie Motshekga, former Minister of Education, was appointed as Minister of Defense, lacking the qualifications or experience to hold the post. The ANC has historically been known to appoint ministers who are underqualified or lack any form of qualification.
It raises the question for the average South African: Are qualifications a prerequisite for accessing politics? If the answer is yes, there is a risk of making politics a career for the elite and those who are able to access sufficient education and get the necessary qualifications. If the answer is no, what becomes the metric for evaluating politicians before they step into office?
In South Africa, we are able to evaluate politicians retrospectively after they have completed their term. However, the lack of a mechanism to evaluate politicians prior to them stepping into the position leaves us vulnerable to mismanagement and poor governance.
The media has shown a clear bias and lack of objective reporting by failing to report the lack of qualifications of DA ministers and not evaluating both major parties fairly. There’s a need to ensure different means of having objective evaluation on political parties to inform the public.
The DA must rid itself of political rhetoric as they work with the ANC. It is important we hold both parties accountable to the commitments they made to their people in the past because a lack of accountability for the past only leads to a lack of accountability in the future.