Common consensus appears to exist that men (and women) in all circumstances are naturally disposed to duplicity, dishonesty, hypocrisy and corruption; that those with greater prominence almost always reflect the vices and virtues of society in which they exist. Their pursuit and preservation of power in all spheres of life is characterised by the shameful embrace of iniquity and dishonesty as well as complete disregard of moral principles and ethics. Politicians appear to have carved for themselves a niche in the field of deceit which only themselves and second-hand car salesman are generally renowned for.
The chronic obsession with power is intrinsically linked to politics. The vast promises of crass materialism associated with occupation of positions of influence in the echelons of power continue to compromise respectable virtues of men. As Lord Acton succinctly put it: “All power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Then surely to uphold politicians as paragons of morality would be a great disservice to societal expectations. Niccolo Machiavelli believed that there is no viable alternative to hypocrisy in politics. We look around us and hypocrites abound.
How does society continuously reaffirm general impropriety and dishonesty of politicians in the midst of betrayal of the trust we place upon them? Ruth Weissbourd Grant in her book Hypocrisy and Integrity: Machiavelli, Rousseau, and the Ethics of Politics attempts to answer this very question. She states that “politics are characterised by relationships of mutual need among parties with conflicting interests. To enlist the support of the other party requires flatter, manipulation, pretence of concern for his needs … to further selfish ends”.
The emergence of political populism in South Africa is a direct response to the structural faults in our economy, which by accident of history is a racial problem. We have two economies as former president Mbeki observed: one that is white and rich while the other is black and poor. Out of such racial imbalances arise despicable populists who pretend to represent the interests of the poor majority with the sole objective of preserving political power while there is general lack of improvement in the conditions of the poor.
The existence of inequalities in society serves as a precursor to the ills that are seemingly natural in our body politic. A prosperous society means a well-informed society that is conscious of the urgency of addressing the socio-economic problems that may threaten its continued sustainability into the future. For society to transition towards such normality requires that illiteracy, which entrenches the scourge of poverty, be eradicated. For political populists the continued existence of such inequality serves their narrow interests.
The poor masses who now enjoy political emancipation continue to hold themselves hostage to the sentiment of the liberation struggle despite their abject socio-economic circumstances and the continued betrayal of their trust. The fulfilment of the promises of economic freedom remain yet far in the distant horizon. The dreams of these poor members of society are deferred with regularity by swindlers who shamelessly play on their desperation and hope. They accept mediocrity and cheat themselves of a better life with the hope that deceitful men in authority would bring them visible and meaningful change.
If indeed society is of one mind with Machiavelli that there is no viable alternative to hypocrisy in politics; why then do we act shocked at the conspicuous display of hypocritical behaviour by politicians? It would be an act of self-deceit if there existed within ourselves some expectation that politicians would conform to higher standards of morality in direct conflict to their own character. We face a political paradox wherein society appears to accept the nature of politics as defined yet simultaneously expect politicians to be of amiable and honourable constitution.
Despite these contradictions it remains reasonable that society hold those in power accountable. The general and reasonable expectation of the fulfilment of promises made by politicians is premised on the trust that society place upon the shoulders of those who pretend to be servants of the people. The president of the republic is not beyond reproach not because society seeks the embodiment of a perfect human being, but because society seeks a model politician, a person of unquestionable integrity who can be trusted to do the right thing even at cost to himself, a selfless servant of the people and an exemplary leader against whom we can measure ourselves and aspire for greatness. This cannot be too much to ask.
Edmund Burke says “all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. The question we must answer for ourselves relates to the general despondence of those with the ability to bring good to society and the capacity to change the nature of politics as we know them. Some believe that bad politicians are elected because good men choose not to vote. We have from time immemorial left politics to be the exclusive preserve of men of dubious character. With the progression of time and transformation of the political landscape emerged women of dubious disposition as well.
A moment may have arrived that those savouring the comforts and luxuries of private existence rise to the challenge of our time and help dislodge our people from economic quicksand. It is time that those with no historical baggage join hands and stand side-by-side and lead this nation to its greatness. We have much to lose if we sit idle and do nothing.
It’s been half a century since Africa’s liberation from colonialism yet she is still characterised by a vast ocean of rampant corruption, dreadful diseases, mindless civil wars and abject poverty while the heroes of the liberation struggle live on the island of obscene opulence. This we must change!
Extremely lucid. Any suggestions how to achieve this freedom to prosper apart from the obvious one of more efforts and money spent on education of the masses? How about spreading the power over a bigger area so that not so much is concentrated in one place? How about disbanding the tripartite alliance into its component parts so that each part will once again have a clear agenda other than just putting “blacks” on top? Less energy would be spent on inside fighting and these debates could then be public and educational. When sentimentality meets politics corruption becomes very difficult to limit.
I concur. We, the citizens of the Republic of South Africa, deserve better. Let us join hands and hold our leaders accountable. To us.
Excellent writing and insight, thank you!
‘ It’s been half a century since Africa’s liberation from colonialism yet she is still characterised by a vast ocean of rampant corruption, dreadful diseases, mindless civil wars and abject poverty while the heroes of the liberation struggle live on the island of obscene opulence…. ‘
This MUST be changed, and the power to change that remains squarely in the hands of the people who keep these leaders in their opulent places, the African voter.
Can they? Will they? Why don’t they?
Same ol’same ol’for the last 50 years?
Common hollywood hype develops hypocrisy.
For instance,a war or invasion of a country can be
justified by a 30ml glass vial and that weapons of
mass destruction exists from this.Also an AXIS OF
EVIL with nuclear warheads and nuclear reactors is
a threat…?
Hypocrites base think their integrity is judged
by how well you can hype your fraudulant malicious
intentions.
In assuming all whites are rich, you made your first mistake. In assuming all blacks are poor you made the second. Asuming, as they say, makes an ass of u and me.
1. Only those who truly want to get out of poverty, and who are willing to make the sacrifices required to get out of poverty can ever be helped. Those being, refrain from procreation, and concentrate weatlh into savings, until self sufficiency is reached.
2. You do people more harm by teaching them an entitlement culture, because they will never ever start taking personal responsibility, with a culture of ‘free houses,’ ‘free electrictiy’, while they continue to breed like rabbits on viagra.
3. Honesty in politics is possible, and has been, and is being practiced, for example: Dr. Brad Blanton’s entire campaign was on brutal honesty. He is brutally honest, and refuses to kiss any ignorant citizens ass to get their vote. He refuses to make false promises. There is such a politician in South Africa, but neither you, nor your fellow media are interested in honest politicians, you prefer informing your readers about the liars. This politician in South Africa, among others, practices — like Dr. Blanton, brutal honesty politics — and refused to be nominated for a particular SA political party, if all campaign funds were not totally transparent. The party withdrew her nomination.
There are a heck of a lot more people participating in the economy than two decades ago. By some accounts, the middle class is twice as big. These days if a flash car goes past, I assume it’s a black person.
It’s not possible to get every single person to participate in economic growth simultaneously, and in equal portion. Ask China. They also have people ‘left behind’ but that is only because so many have gone ahead. In twenty years many more will be better off than now. There are only so many university positions, and only so many people starting new companies.
Frankly, our government has done well to balance the needs of the underparticipative with keeping the economy as a whole growing.
Setletse: please read the following and see if Mandela and Mbeki really led us on the correct path:
Operation Vula: Who is Lying – Nelson Mandela or Mac Maharaj? (Part 1)
In “Long Walk to Freedom” Nelson Mandela writes as follows:
De Klerk’s lifting of the State of Emergency in June (1990) seemed to set the stage for a resumption of talks, but in July government security forces arrested about forty members of the ANC, including Mac Maharaj, Pravin Gordhan, Siphiwe Nyanda and Billy Nair, claiming they were part of a Communist Party plot called Operation Vula. De Klerk called for an urgent meeting with me and read to me from documents he claimed had been confiscated in the raid. I was taken aback because I knew nothing about it.
After the meeting I wanted an explanation and called Joe Slovo. Joe explained that the passages read by Mr De Klerk had been taken out of context and that Vula was a moribund organization……I went back to Mr De Klerk and told him he had been misled by his own police…”
Operation Vula (Part 2)
In his autobiography F W De Klerk writes:
“In July 1990 the security forces uncovered a major ANC plot, code named Operation Vula, which was entirely at odds with the organisation’s undertakings in the Groote Schuur Minute and its professed commitment to a peaceful and negotiated constitutional settlement. In terms of the plot, the ANC had infiltrated key operatives into South Africa – including Mac Maharaj and Sipiwe Nyanda in 1988 and Ronnie Kasrils in 1990 – to organize an underground network to prepare for revolution…..I asked Mandela to come and see me urgently and confronted him with some of the evidence that the security forces had acquired. During our meeting on 26 July, he seemed to be genuinely surprised by these revelations.”
Operation Vula (Part 3)
But a totally different version of this story is told by Mac Maharaj in the book “Shades of Difference” by Padraig O’Malley (written, luckily for historians, when Mac was outside the tent pissing in).
Mac says that Operation Vula was known to very few people, and authorized by O R Tambo, but that one of the few people in the know was Nelson Mandela who was informed of all developments from the time he was transferred to Victor Verster prison by messages via his attorney, Ismail Ayob. To quote from the book:
“Vula was conceived in 1986. The idea of it being an insurance policy only emerged in the 1990s..In fact the interim leadership core had rejected this idea……The money for our operations no longer came through Lusaka; it was delivered to me at home. On Mandela’s instructions it was delivered to me in hard cash, not through bank accounts, because I could not pay the underground in cheques.
From the time of his release onward, Madiba put his full support behind organizing the underground along the lines we suggested. On one occasion he told us that he had just come from a visit to the Free State, where there was a great potential for putting underground structures in place, and that he could even give Vula local contacts……We should never forget that he was the founding commander of MK…..”
Operation Vula (part 4)In our case (the SACP) comrades were going for training in the socialist countries and were coming back well disposed to communism. So most trained members of MK were Communists….
After Nyanda was arrested on 13 July 1990 and it became clear that further arrests would follow, Mac and Janet Love cleaned out the safe houses in Johannesburg and got their sleepers out of the country…..Mac raced to Durban with Ronnie Kasrils and there….cleaned out the safe house in which Vula had stored arms….With his arrest on 25 July, Vula was over, although the underground continued to function under Ronnie Kasrils….De Klerk accused the ANC of reneging on the Pretoria Minute and continuing to use violence to eliminate other political parties……
…the SB (Special Branch) acquired information about a particular safe house in Durban….They monitored the house and arrested a few more people….It was a flat that belonged to Shabir Shaik….
I went to Walter Sisulu and said “There is danger coming….” Walter said “Madiba is arriving on the eighteenth, the day of his birthday, from India and Malaysia….You had better be at the airport…”
…the next day I briefed him. He immediately picked up the phone and contacted Jacob Zuma. He told Zuma to arrange an urgent meeting between himself and De Klerk….Ronnie Kasrils and I drove down to Durban to clean out a hidden cache, and I then drove back to Jo’burg.
Operation Vula (part 5)
…. I sent messages to Moe to tell the others to disperse.
I said to Madiba “I must make sure if they come to arrest me, they do it in broad daylight, where there are witnesses, so that the news gets published. Once it gets published, the structures in Cape Town, Durban and Jo’burg, which I can’t reach, will realize that they must take cover.” Madiba agreed
….No-one other than me got arrested. The Cape Town comrades immediately fled into the Transkei. Bantu Holimisa was in power there so they were safe.
Eight Vula detainees appeared on 29 October 1990 in the Durban Regional Court to attend their bail hearing…the state did not oppose bail……
Vula was exposed at exactly the wrong moment….the Vula trial got way almost six months later….Mendi Msimang went on British TV to state that Vula was not an ANC operation….
Madiba never repudiated Vula…At all times, however, we had to dress him in the clothing of plausible deniability….”
The book also mentions that Terror Lekota refused to have anything to do with ANY clandestine or underground movement.
But Terror Lekota was UDF not ANC!
This is inspiring. There is absolutely no reason why Africa can’t be as successful as East Asia – even more successful. Africa has everything – resources, political clout, improving education (with some exceptions including SA), and a new culture of making her way in the world. As you say, “It’s been half a century since Africa’s liberation from colonialism yet she is still characterised by a vast ocean of rampant corruption, dreadful diseases, mindless civil wars and abject poverty while the heroes of the liberation struggle live on the island of obscene opulence. This we must change!” This we CAN change. Africa has been let down (this is the nicest way I can say it) by her leadership. The minute we have an African Obama, Africa will say – Yes we can!
Sentletse
A quote from “Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred” by Mark Gevisser:
“By 1988 a chance presented itself. The South Africans had been defeated at Cuito Carnavale, and a resolution of the Angolan and Namibian wars seemed imminent. Tambo tasked an internal committee, which included Joel Netshitenzhe, Jeremy Cronin, Penuell Maduna and Neo Mnumzana, to draft an ANC “bottom line” if Pretoria extended an offer to negotiate. This was transmitted to Nelson Mandela for comment via the secret transmission system set up by Operation Vula, and then canvassed with the leaders of the frontline states. It was to become the Harare Declaration”
The stratagy, as designed by Mbeki, was for the ANC to draft a document that would be endorsed first by the frontline states and then by the OAU, and then in ever-increasing concentric circles up to the UN as a united African position.”Africa must have the final say,” said Tambo to African leaders”
WHEN did we South Africans, white or black or brown, give the ANC the right to run South Africa under the OAU (and Idi Amin)?
Do you remember any such referendum or election manifesto?
Which explains Zimbabwe!!!!!!
Cuito, by the way was a VICTORY for the SADS, who had no interest in Angloa or Namibia, but whose interest was keeping communists off our borders – which is what the result was. The Russians agreed to withdraw the Cubans from Africa. Which is why Castro executed the general who had been in charge at Cuito.
Sentletse
I think you (and Cope) should read “People’s War” by Anthea Jeffery, which is a project of the South African Intitute of Race Relations ( the same people who exposed apartheid) . To quote from the Preface:
“This book is the culmination of a series of studies….The include “The Liberal Slideaway”, which explored how liberals often turned a blind eye to revolutionary violence, and “The Truth about The Truth Commission”, an expose of the many flaws in the report of that body…”The Natal Story”…and “Spotlight” on Disinformation about Violence in SA.
Especially interesting is the ANC’s communist training in Vietnam in 1978.