Against the tide by Steven Friedman

In America, the Supreme Court has allowed the wealthy to buy as many politicians as they want. Here, the Western Cape High Court wants to do much the same. It has ruled that those who give large sums to political parties are exercising their rights, not buying influence. So, if the parties we vote for listen to the rich rather than us, the court thinks we should be pleased that democracy is working.

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Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.