Imagine a scenario where former president Thabo Mbeki decides to announce his endorsement and intentions to vote for Cope but decides to remain a member of the ANC. I cannot imagine a situation that could rattle the feathers of some of the over inflated egos at Luthuli House more. Some of those egos are “too big, too wide, too strong, won’t fit they’re too much and they talk like this but they can’t even back it up.” “Quoting” Beyonce while discussing politics seems a tad out of place. Perhaps I should make a better analogy. Let me point to the most widely followed election in recent memory. The US elections.
(Just an aside here. I was commenting on someone’s status on Facebook about something they had said regarding the ANC. In my comment I quoted Dr Martin Luther King; someone then commented saying, “Trust Cope to quote Martin Luther King who, at the time, was speaking about equality during the 1960s. What relevance does Dr King have to our democracy,” as if there was something wrong with quoting people from other countries. I’m afraid if that person sees this blog post I will be taken to task for making references to America.)
Two weeks before the American general elections in 2008 a very well respected Republican sat before Tom Brokaw, the host of MSNBC’s much-respected Meet the Press TV programme. This particular Republican, according to opinion polls, had been the most respected American for years. In fact, had his wife not forbidden him from running in 2000, he would most certainly have been the Republican nominee for president, meaning that he would have ended up being president of the United States instead of George Walker (Dubya) Bush. He would have been America’s first black president.
This Republican gentleman and former National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of State, General Colin Luther Powell endorsed Barack Obama, a member of the Democratic Party, for the presidency of the United States. During his endorsement he mentioned that he was and still is a member of the Republican Party but felt that Obama would make a better president than his fellow party man John McCain. Although he endorsed an individual, it was essentially an endorsement of the Democratic Party’s platform.
General Powell made that endorsement fully aware of the impact it might have on the fence sitters. Here was an established, highly respected man going out of his way to make known his intentions of voting for a member of a different party to that of his own. Although he allowed himself to be used to bring falsified evidence before the United Nations, which led to the invasion of Iraq, perhaps the endorsement was a way of correcting that error.
He was not hounded out of the Republican Party after his announcement. Of course they were not happy with the endorsement. It was his right to express his preferences. Some tried to spin it by saying he was only endorsing Obama because he is black. Maybe it is time our country matured enough to allow people to express their preferences without fear or favour.
Unfortunately I don’t see Luthuli House viewing Mbeki’s endorsement of Cope as his democratic right. He would most likely be called a traitor at first. Then names. The endorsement would then be ridiculed. They would say that he wants to rule from the grave. They would accuse him of bitterness. They would say that people aren’t going to switch from the ANC and vote for Cope simply because Mbeki decided to do so. The funny thing is they would spend an awful lot of time telling us how insignificant the endorsement was. They would also appear on every SABC station telling us how it would not make a dent in the ANC’s support base, which would make you how wonder: is it really inconsequential? Fikile Mbalula would say that he was right all along; Mbeki was behind Cope all along. Then Julius would call for him to be disciplined or call for his expulsion.
I had the rare opportunity of seeing Julius Malema and Fikile Mbalula at a wedding I too had the privilege of attending some time last year. While all the guests were having tea before the reception, they stood together and talked, like two lonely figures. No one really walked up to them, to talk to them. Then later at the reception the master of ceremonies made the following pronouncement, “I see Mr Malema is also here.” There was much laughter. Make of the laughter what you will. But I digress, as usual. Excuse the ADD.
Should senior members of the ANC who might be sympathetic to Cope publicly announce their intentions to vote for Cope even though they remain members of the ANC? Should they come out and say that they are doing so in order to strengthen democracy and not necessarily weaken the ANC? Will a stronger opposition not in fact strengthen them? Maybe not in terms of numbers, but in strengthening the democratic processes within the party?
Members of the ANC should have the freedom to endorse and to state their intentions of voting for Cope even though they are still senior members of the ANC without the fear of being suspended.
If the rumours are true that the ANC is busy denying – President Motlanthe’s intentions of refusing the position of deputy president should Zuma become president, then it is difficult not to view his discomfort of serving as deputy to Zuma as a vote of no confidence in his presidency.
If, in the next few weeks and months, people decide to go public and announce that they will vote Cope but will remain members of the ANC, then the ruling party should understand one thing — these people do not love the ANC any less. It’s just that they love their country more.
declaring your support for COPE whilst a member of ANC would equal to pushing your luck. They will frustrate you with name calling and they will sideline you in all the areas of economic advancement.
We are still troubled with political intolerance in such that people die almost daily as a result and, guess what? it is has being the case since 1994 and it is not getting any better.
In South African politics you are either for or against a political organisation. That is why any political party that is not the ANC is called “an opposition party” except that one is said to be “official opposition”.
Even an ordinary person in a village confused by ANC members would find it quite nerve wrecking to declare their support for a different political denomination.
Very interesting!
South Africa hasn’t reached that level of maturity Khaya for people to be allowed to make public their preferences without facing an onslaught of attack from other party members. I’m of the opinion that people even still vote on the basis of colour… they’d rather vote ANC = black president than, say maybe a white person who’d be a great president of the Republic.
South Africa will get there (voting or endorsing a person based on the character & ability of the individual). Who know maybe we’ll even have a two party system, were all these ineffective ‘opposition’ parties unite and give the ruling party a good run for their money.
Maybe… just maybe.
Nice post. I think you nailed the possible response from the ANC right on the head. And an interesting question: if the ANC could strengthen the democratic values within it, in exchange for votes, would it? What is the ANC’s primary objective – a better country, or a stronger majority?
Thanks for this.
This block is mischievous. It is ment to redicule the ANC.
Khaya how would you feel if standing on a corner street with your beua, she showed you some guy and said: Dear I am going to lay that guy, but i still your gal?
To say that you are a member of one party and declare that you find its programmes a flop is a contradiction in terms. The party exist because of its programmes, and we join because we identify with those programmes. To declare that you will vote against your party is like cutting your nose to spite your face – which will leave an ugly moron.
The best that Zize could do to ‘strengthen democracy’ is to join Cope. Anything less will be dispicable.
Can the association between Mbeki and Cope be laid to rest. Could you not used Smuts or Boesak voting for UDM while still declaring their loyality to cope?
Ya know mate, after Traps, you are my favourite author on Thought Leader. If you up your output, maybe you can dethrone him. Also, you are too young to be writing such sensible output. Please grow a beard and add some grey to your hair to make me feel better. Perhaps a walking stick too.
In a mature democracy like the US perhaps this would be fathomable. Here in our 15 year old “maturing democracy” anyone, including Mbeki, would be hounded, abused and attacked for daring to think about doing such a thing. Perhaps the constitution would even be amended to strip all ex-presidents their post-presidential benefits:-)
Noble as it sounds, methinks it is an idea way too ahead of its time.
For now, pretences would do, Mbeki clearly has something to do with COPE, but he would rather pretend that he doesn’t. Clearly Mandela is tired of the current ANC chaos, but he would rather stay at home and plead “old age”.
I have a dream that one day this democracy will still be existent and that like other democracies, we would be able to practise it fully!
It will be the kiss of death for Cope if Mbeki ever endorses them. He was a bad president – South Africa is in the sad state it is in because of his tolerance of crime, corruption and incompetence.
“Will a stronger opposition not in fact strengthen them? Maybe not in terms of numbers, but in strengthening the democratic processes within the party?”
What processes are not democratic within the ANC Mr Dlanga?
Shame. Keep imagining Khaya.
Hlabirwa, bet you you would fail an exam that was set asking the differences beteen ANC policies and COPE or DA policies.
You vote ANC because you are programmed to or because of it’s personalities ie Mandela etc
Brent
@ Nic, since I act younger than my age, perhaps I should write younger too!
who cares?
When you walk into the voting booth, you actually can and should vote for the party your REALLY admire most, even if you’ve decorated yourself in rosettes and tee-shirts of the “popular” local party just for show.
So, you really CAN vote for the DA.
Can Mbeki really do that now? You may not reported adiquetly about arms deal issues because of your own agendas but I believe that full enquiry by the likes of Heath will exposes Mbeki’s involvement in arms deals badly. Actually he can be charged with corruption related to arms deal if he can be seen effectively supporting Cope because it was reported without details that he went to some companies who were disqualified and told them that they are still on the list. Why? This is a reason good enough to warrant an investigation to find out what did he get from those companies. I am still interested in an inquiry into arms deal because it will expose the media for its hypocrasy and the planned cover ups and failures by NPA and Scorpions to investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals in Mbeki ‘s government.
I thought the media will scrutinize COPE formation thoroughly and try to see if it is in the benefit democratic society or actually pushing for the African way of remaining in power forever. All of its leaders have been ANC leaders for the past ten years and it is clear that they want to be leaders in both their COPE and the government or at least they would like to be ministers in the government. It is my view that this people made COPE for themslelves and not to benefit democracy in SA. I would argue that if they formed COPE in the benefit of SA, they would wanted different individuals to be their leaders and serve them only at advisory level if need be. What if the membership elect another leader they despise in the future or will they put censorship on their leadership elections? The eternal leadership like that of ZANU-PF must be discouraged in Africa and not selectively.It would appear that the SA media will only discourage those behaviour not beneficial to them. Remeber Lekota was the ANC chairperson who was too big to even listen to Khutsong people, yet you have the likes of Khaya who do not see any dictatorship in such a person. I am not talking in ANC favour but want objectivity in media.
Khaya
Archbishop Tutu has expressed his stance not to vote in the coming elections. The last I heard of him was that he is well and alive besides all other political parties’ criticism of him. You must agree that he is a man who values his freedom of expression which he makes without fear, favour or prejudice.
Until former president Thabo Mbeki is brave enough to do what you are dreaming about, I guess you will never know despite your sour tasting profesy.
I envision Mbeki in his Tuscan house somewhere in an expensive suburb sittin in his library pulling at his expensive pipe. i can see him stabbing away at his laptop, keys faded from excessive use. His cut-crystal glass nurses his 18yr-old Caolille, sweat beading on the crystal brow.
His smirk is laced with a evil glee as we speculate on his far his cunning web reaches. Screen number 2 on his control panel flames to life as yet another reference is made to him about COPEvs ANC and his involvement.
But what i’d pay for is a drunken moment with the man. See what he really thinks about all this, and i’ll give him one of those white Cope Volunteer golf-shirts in exchange for the tidbits of drunken talk i’m likely to forget the next day.
I don’t think Mr. Mbeki has ambitions of direct participation in local politics and therefore, it won’t serve his end to publicly join COPE or ‘the new ANC’. Besides, Mr. Gavisser wrote that Mr. Mbeki sees the latter group as a rabble and I, personally can’t see him having an effectual function in their midst.
To the ‘dissidents’ from the first Congress of the People: “I see no changes”.
Your mind should seek healing of objectivity if you deserve any hearing, your fantasy to see cope doing well cannot be at the expense of loyal ANC members – your dream come closer to political zero
Why on earth would someone remain a “loyal” member of their party while actually voting for someone else? Where’s the loyalty in that? A man must be strong enough to follow his convictions. It’s absurd – you can’t have your bread buttered on both sides. If Mbeki were to publicly endorse COPE he’d have to step down first from the ANC, otherwise he’d be expelled (rightly so). This is one of the reasons why I hated floor-crossing so much.
So who was getting married and why did they invite Julius and what’s-his name to the wedding?
Khaya
You would do well not compare Mr Mbeki with Powel, an American, if you have any grasp of the passion that Mbeki has for Pan Africanims or Afro-centrism. Perhaps your choice of Mr Mbeki in this blog is telling us something we don’t know about him. Your example of Mr Mbeki aside…
Why do you (and other people) always think we have to take our line from Americans? Are you so obsessed with Americans that we must bench-mark ourselves on everything that happens over there?
You tried too hard to raise controversy through Powel’s behaviour forgtting that the world is so messed up today largely because Powel’s behaviour was a true reflection of America’s political bahaviour internationally – governed by opportunism and not morals and principles.
Any principled political person either stays and work hard to change the things he/she does not like about the party OR leaves for a party that best represent what he/she likes. No prostitution!
You cannot eat your cake and still have it unless if you’re Powel or an American. But maybe what you are proposing is what the complaint is about – what COPE cadres are already doing – remaining in the ANC just so that they can sabotage it, a very unethical and provocative thing to do. Hit the road if you’re gatvol and openly work for something you really believe in! That’s what you’ve done yourself, Khaya. But now you want Mr Mbeki to do something you despised, how belitling!
Siestog! Who cares???
I don’t care what the consequence may be to Mr. Mbeki and all those currently in the ANC who are aware how devoid of substance the party has become, and yet stay there. It’s a shame when people know the wrong thing they are doing or are in, and yet fearful to stand for what they believe in. Many members of the ANC have already faced this fear, conquered it and defected to COPE.
I hope common sense will down on all current members of the ANC who still think what the party has been saying and doing in the past 10 months is good for the country. I will vote for COPE, partly to acknowledge their guts, partly to protest against the ANC but mainly to support a party with the potential to be great for all South Africans.
Interesting article indeed Khaya. Pity we have a very long way to go.
Public discourse in this country has really degenarated- this is what Goeth had in mind when he opined about infatile disorders!
COPE is antithetical to everything that Mbeki stood for. Their employment of barouque liberal verbiage is not only analogous to Mbeki’s historicity but the TOTAL opposite! I know it pleases the intellectual dwarfs to propagandize that Mbeki is one of them. He will die an ANC member inspite of all the grave disagreements.
Good post.
I especially like the way you ended it with loving your country more than your party.
And who knows, the elections are still 2 and a half months away………there is still time for Thabo to come clean
Time will tell……
The only thing I fail to understand on your article is why do you equate supporting/endorsing a presidential candidate with endorsing a party!!!Surely Powell endorsed Barack as his prefered candidate not his party.
I would understand your point if you say Mbeki endorses Lekota/Shilowa for presidency instead of Zuma.
@ Philosopher
If you look at the 4th paragraph you will note that what you have said has been covered. Let me quote, “Although he endorsed an individual, it was essentially an endorsement of the Democratic Party’s platform.”