It has not been a good week for our young democracy.

The mudslinging, bad behaviour and outlandish antics that have blotted the reputations of a number of politicians could soon see our public representatives renamed Buffoona Buffoona.

As unsavoury and distasteful as many of the recent political goings-on may have appeared, our democratic system can take these in its stride.

When the latest political dust storm finally subsides in the Mother City, voters across the country can be counted on to exercise common sense and make informed choices.

However, there have been other political happenings in Cape Town in the past week that are far more worrisome for the state of our democracy.

These developments have been of particular concern for those serious about effective oversight of the executive, government accountability and the defence of the constitutionally enshrined rights of ordinary people.

The erosion of these all-important principles - and along with them government delivery to the most vulnerable and needy - do not always pre-sent themselves in a stark, concrete or easily digestible form to voters.

But the decision by a number of highly committed, independent-minded and dedicated public representatives to signal their intention to throw in the towel should send political alarm bells ringing.

The bail-out announcement by Democratic Alliance deputy leader in the Western Cape, Hennie Bester, understandably attracted the most media attention this week, as his departure was linked to a broader political drama coming to the boil.

Bester is an earnest, well-meaning and hard-working person who believed that he could make a difference in serving the community by somehow bypassing much of the petty back-biting and gratuitous nastiness that mark politics in the province.

But news of the impending resignations of two brave and highly principled ANC committee chairs in central parliament - Barbara Hogan (finance) and Pregs Govender (committee for the improvement in the quality of life and status of women) - carries greater significance and has far-reaching implications.

There was a time, not too many years ago, when a number of the all-important parliamentary committees were chaired by strong, independent-minded individuals who took their duty of holding government accountable very seriously.

Many were passionate and idealistic, qualities that sustained them in the arduous and often costly battle to achieve what must surely be one of the best constitutions ever produced.

This breed of political leader clearly understood why it was so important to have a separation of powers between the legislative and executive arms of government. Good committee chairs were keenly aware of the constitutional duty of parliamentarians, as representatives of the people, to insist on an open, clean, efficient and cost-effective government.

MP's particularly those entrusted with chairing the engine-rooms of parliamentary democracy, did not only have an obligation to ensure the passage of sound and workable laws. There was also the expectation that they would pull out all the necessary stops so citizens and taxpayers could feel they were getting the best value for money when it came to government delivery.

Staying true to these ideals may be personally rewarding to principled committee chairs committed to serving what they perceive to be the interests and needs of voters.

But they can entail asking tough and probing questions on issues ranging from Aids policy to arms procurement, something that the executive and the party bosses might find irksome.

Obviously it's easier to follow the course of least resistance and go with the herd in a bid to ingratiate yourself with the party bosses.

MPs who recently rallied noisily behind the justice minister in parliament in an attempt to diminish the moral authority of former Archbishop and Truth and Reconciliation Commission chairman Desmond Tutu no doubt believe they will be rewarded one day for their spineless sycophancy.

But good committee chairs know that keeping the executive on its toes does not imply disloyalty to the party, a personal distaste for the leadership, a lack of patriotism or political delinquency.

It is a matter of duty. Standing up for what you believe is right, what the community deserves and what the constitution requires can be lonely and politically costly, if not suicidal.

Independent-minded, outspoken and politically brave committee chairs are becoming a dying breed in parliament. There are still a few left, but the impending loss of Hogan and Govender will make those left behind feel increasingly isolated and embattled.

With acknowledgements to Anthony Johnson and Sunday Argus.