You know it’s been a slow day in the news world when Lynda Odendaal joining the ANC is a main story on the evening news.
The former Cope second deputy president and lead organiser of a new independent civil-society initiative announced she had joined the ANC amid fanfare and a formal press conference. “Comrade Lynda” is said to be an asset to her new political home brining “values” to the party.
Odendaal is, historically speaking, a political non-entity and her maiden address to Parliament — nominating Mvume Dandala as Cope’s presidential candidate last year — was met with abuse from across the floor and ANC MPs making “meeauw” sounds.
Naturally her new political affiliation was not met with universal approval with some members of Cope on Facebook displaying unfortunate political immaturity by resorting to name-calling and unfounded accusations: tender-chasing being one of them. But even the ANC camp was not too happy to allow a “token blonde” into their ranks
All of that aside, I wonder how much has changed in the ANC since November 2008 for Odendaal to be able to join the party after taking stock of the political landscape and dragging her “values” into the new camp. I cannot judge her intentions or motivation having had very little interaction with her and mainly on Facebook — as history shall be her ultimate judge.
However, her departure from Cope at least left a number of unanswered calls and questions within her Sandton branch. Lily Bashe had quite a bit to say about Odendaal’s new political membership:
“Lynda ran away with her explanation of why she had resigned from Cope. Her constituency, as she was claiming it, is waiting for it. Our sacrifice, trying to profile her in Sandton went in vain. I remember how she fought when we had invited Lyndall to address us in Paulshof. We relented and let her come. But lo! when she resigned from Cope she could not let us know. We called her and SMSed her in vain to at least explain to her constituency why she had resigned. I wish her luck as she has been deployed in the Sandton branch of party. I have been there. She must ask me.”
Now with Odendaal siding with the ANC, and the DA having their Helen Zille, Cope is the only major party without their “token blonde”. Unless Phumzile is willing to go blonde, I guess it’s about time Cope starts head hunting for a “busty blonde to fill leadership position”.
Actually, I think Dianne Kohler-Barnard should take the top honour of being the DA’s feisty busty blonde. My apologies to Madam Zille.
This just goes to show how smart this woman is. She knows that to make this country a better country she will have to fight the ANC’s way of doing things within the party. She noticed that the so called Cope was formed by people who were more worried about their careers than working for this country.
So she is just going to the ANC to fight and show that she can make a difference within the party and not through opposition movements that are non political entities as the author puts it.
I don’t know about ‘smart’, from where I’m sitting she looks like an opportunist. It would be interesting to see what the ANC does with her in the medium to long-term.
It is amazing how you politicians play this funny power game when actually what you should be seeking is good governance. It is not about who rules. It is about ruling well.
If she was one that Cope saw as a good thing, then Cope should be wishing her well.
hehe! I bet she went crawling to the DA first.
Political Non-Entities?
The only reference the author made to non-entities was to Ms. Odendaal herself, not to any oppositon parties…
Done deal to join the ANC. Highly unlikely she is going to give an accurate account of her motivaitons. Like others in her new found political camp, her future actions will no doubt reveal her true intentions. I doubt the taxpayers will need to wait too long.
its really sad that u are stereotyping female politicians on the basis of their alleged conformity to the “pornstar body type”… cos if that was a reasonable approach to GOTV then Candice Boucher who models clothes for Queenspark should be leader of the ANC, DA, ID or COPE… http://mrsballs.blogspot.com/2009/11/candice-boucher-is-one-seriously-sultry.html
Gosh Marius, can’t you read between the lines? Our dear President like a little vanilla in his coffee from time to time.
Anyway, jokes aside, your article seems like a case of sour grapes. Just be glad Lynda didn’t join that racist DA party.
Fight within the ANC for what? More crime, more corruption, more denials, more destruction of the justice system, more top jobs for cronies, more good cops thrown out and repalced by bad ones, more promises and less delivery???
What can only come to mind is Anele Mda’s statement with out the insults of cause. I wonder if i’m the only one.
I sometimes truly feel for those whose topknot happens to be pale. There are certain expectations that goes with a certain colour scheme that, for obvious logical reasons, cannot always be met. Whilst your post does not do this, except maybe tongue in cheek, it is something that has annoyed me for a while now. The only (bad) thing opponents seem to be able to find on Helen Zille is the fact that she is blond and “white”. Lame, really lame. I have known exceptionally bright talented blond people and, of course there are those of the Paris Hilton club. Does this mean that all brunettes are of a certain type, and all redheads? Stereotyping shows so little initiative and blond jokes aren’t really funny anymore. It is time to assess people for other reasons than colour.
Tlanch Tau: if Jesse Duarte has given up, I wonder how long Lynda Odendaal will last. After all, we have no proof of her staying power.
I think white people who move to the ANC are all feted. After all, they are definitely tokens in number and perhaps the ANC is just so surprised that anyone white agrees with them, they can’t help telling the world.
Also, there are so few white ANC comrades that the job opportunities immediately improve, e.g. Kortbroek and Didi Moyle: 2 whites heading one ministry. Whatever was the ANC thinking?
@Dave Harris – Thank you for proving my point. Just being paler surely does not mean you are automatically racist unless I missed something about you? No matter how many times you say this about the DA it will never be true, their supporters won’t allow it. They are not perfect but at least they are trying, not blaming their failings on others.
I was not stereotyping, I was quoting the reaction of ANC and COPE members alike. The feminist in me finds the idea of a “token blonde” deplorable.
Also, I have a sneaky suspicion that Lynda might be the ANC’s answer to Zille in JHB. But I am not willing to place my money on that, yet.