The tragedy of the commons seems to give way to the tragedy of the private

THE need for the national convention and a national dialogue is substantively a Socrates dilemma of democracy visiting South Africa.

- PALI LEHOHLA

In this context the merchant politicians trade in the illiterate plebiscite as both currency and merchandise.

This is a feature where people have been stripped of culture and geography and remain with economy that is represented by substantively consumptive rather than productive power.

An economy is not one when it is stripped of culture and geography.

This is the reality of the Black and Coloured people in South Africa, and there is little wonder that there is no economy of which they can talk.

Their language is not an economic asset in public discourse and in advertising through the media.

The invisibility of this substantial majority accounting for 90% of the population have no economy except as consumers.

Thus, they can easily be aggregated by the deep value chains.

Language can be very liberating.

The sitting of the National Convention took place on Friday the 15th as scheduled and with or without the legacy foundations that distanced themselves from the convention.

Digestion of the posturing followed and asked the question whether or not the convention was a success or not.

Now that the national question has been raised long before August the 15th what could be relevant could be what are the deeper questions plaguing South Africa.

Is the convention a matter of the last thirty one years of post-apartheid South Africa?