People stand for elections within their parties - sometimes squabbling very badly privately and in the media in their endeavours to be elected, they avail themselves as candidates for local council chambers, provincial legislatures and the national parliament. Debate is generally developing in its robustness. More often than not acrimoniously so. Not a place for the weak!
Secondly the media - the fourth estate - is lively and maturing too. Public officials and private executives are closely scrutinised to check on their performances and good corporate governance standing in order to move the country forward. The media questions and exposes. Sometimes their approach is certainly questionable but on the whole they are making a good contribution to our society.