Your response is appreciated.

Let us together be confident in and supportive of our independent judiciary. Next up is Mr Mbeki’s Mr Selebi.

May Jack Monde’s cordial impartial clarity bring pause for thought to many.

http://www.friendsofjz.co.za/viewmessage.asp?page=0

Mbeki may find one day there are legal charges for him to answer, if he has arguably broken the law and the state – now controlled by his opponents – decides to pursue him through the courts.

At all events both politicians will want to know the judiciary is independent when the time comes.

Those who cannot see this point will not see that the real problem has never been legal but political.

The solution can only be a split in the ANC that leads to a credible party of opposition.

Comrades will then be liberated at last to oppose each other, and what are called ‘the rest of us’ to support our personal choice.

You must know that I respect the law of any land as it protects people’s justice and freedoms.However , it has been said that the law is an ass, it means that it has loopholes and therefore can be abused.I think in this instance it has been abused.How do you explain a guy that is investigating Jackie Selebi , the police commisioner be arrested.

Scorpions unit is a very noble idea , but the unit must justify its existence that it must not be used as a political tool by anyone including the executive.For example , the unit must find good reasons to prosecute and must now write to the Justice Minister who has the right to say go ahead or dont.What that means is that she can protect people for different reasons; and obviously she will consult the president who in turn can protect his people.The influence of the executives,which are politicians by the way, is why in a lot of countries there are no such units as Scorpions and if they do exist they fall under the Police service.

If Jacob Zuma was charged in a just way I will be the first one to say he should go under.He is not a God.In my eyes you have the executive , who seek to block Zuma working tirelessly with the press in tarnishing his image.How do you explain the front page story with Zuma’s financials!Can you imagine if all politicians , including Nelson Mandela, financials were put in public!I grew up in the struggle and all politicians had their finances looked after by all sorts of volunteers.Maybe you may not understand how these politicians survived during the struggle and imediately after 1994 as they had no substancial incomes.

I think as South Africans we should realise that apartheid is over and we must live in the present and it is our responsibility to build the new South Africa that we want.I must say that the way Zuma was treated it reminded all of us about the apartheid days when people that challenged for power were denigrated one or the other.

And to make matters worse anti Zuma people keep refering to Zuma and Mbeki camp within ANC.The ANC is now led by Zuma, finish and klaar!

This pressure is emanating from the Zuma camp.
A leader would call for such to cease.

I must state at the outset that I believe ANC together with a lot of other liberation movements fought for freedom of the people of South Africa , be they black , white , coloured or Indian.In other words all progressive forces came together to fight apartheid and against white domination.

Therefore 1994 was not only the liberation of black people but the end to white domination and by no means black domination.

All hues are now therefore bona fide citizens of South Africa with equal rights to all opportunities.Everyone must feel free to have a say in leadership matters of this country without fear of being labeled a pan Africanist or a racist.Thus South Africans of all colours must feel free to elect anyone of any colour to lead South Africa.If Trevor Manuel can lead South Africa to a better future , vote him in never mind that he is coloured.I am very clear that thoughts that a white must never be president of South Africa are nonsense.

Rohan if you read South African history , especially during apartheid , you will find that business has always had a say in how the country is governed.There is no modern country leadership that does not understand that business interests must be taken seriously.Present day South Africa can not be an exception, and I am certain Jacob Zuma clearly understands that , as a result he embarked on a trip to calm fears that he will ignore business interests once he takes over.

Rohan I am a business man but I understand the role national leadership must play in all facets of national life.

Thabo’s leadership weakness was failure to provide to his own party that gave him the mandate to rule South Africa.His other weakness was his lack of respect for ANC alliance partners.I dont know about Communism(I have a poor grasp of communism as an ideology cause I am capitalist) but surely as a leader you should listen to labour.I will give you an example of USA and Europe , the developed world , there there are regulation regarding minimum wages , working conditions , earning disparities within companies and corporates are heavily regulated.This is how South Africa and the rest of Africa must go.

Therefore nomatter how must one aspect of life of your citizens is doing well your other constituencies will push you.Rohan , you and I must be embarased that our government has a budget surplus year in year out but there grinding poverty that everyone can see, the shacks and all.In my mind Thabo Mbeki’s government havent got the capacity to deliver.There are very sharp people in Thabo Mbeki’s cabinet like Lindiwe Sisulu , Trevor Manuel , Geraldin Fraser ,Alec Erwin but there are hopeless ones like Briget Mabandla , of course Manto Shabalala-Msimang, and Ronnie Casrils, Manisi Mpahlwa.

If you cant judge a leader by people that he appoints and defends their poor performance then I dont know how you can judge leadership performance.

In leadership we say a good leader is one who finishes strong and I am afraid that Thabo Mbeki will not finish strong.He will be remembered as the most vindictive South African president , he will make Botha , Voerster and Malan look like saints.

It seems that the people in a good position, skill wise, to lead an emerging nation towards success and growth, lack support becuse they are seen to be too close to business, and too far removed from the ‘people’. I am talking of Cyril Ramaphosa, and Tokyo Sexwale mainly. Either of these guys is well equipped to continue South Africa’s journey, at an equally impressive rate of growth as Mr Mandela started, and Mr Mbeki continued. I find myself wondering whether the JZ’s of this world, grasp the idea that South Africa can only help itself, and help it’s own people, by continuing growth unabated?

I fear that the reality is that JZ is rather looking at what’s in it for him. Also, not suggesting that Mbeki and co haven’t plundered state coffers, but am sure that JZ will make no attempt to reign this in, and may even make it worse, as his cronies are immune from critisism………if you critisize a black leader, it means you are racist and want to go back to apartheid. If you are black, and critisize a black leader, then you are a sell out to those racists.

You are right, in that there’s no way to stop the tide (unless the NPA can make these charges stick, and JZ is found guilty, in time). I really hope I am wrong about him, and that you are right, but fear that I am spot on correct…..

I grew up in the struggle and ANC has had good leaders and bad leaders.All of us in the ANC would have loved to John Langalibalele Dube as ANC President for life or Chief Albert Luthuli forever.But life had to go on, as leadership is a button that is passed from one person to the next.For all you know you might be a good leader in times of plenty and become a bad leader in times of scarcity.

During the struggle I spent a lot of years in Zim although I was a toddler.I can assure you that Bob Mugabe has never been a darling of the crowds or masses, neither did he win an election within his own party to lead it.Picture this Thabo Mbeki has never won an election against anyone but has always walked through unopposed.Then comes the first time he contests an election , he loses dismally!

I must hasten to add that I like Thabo Mbeki a lot , he is my president and has done well,but time has come for him to move on.Someone new must take over.

You and I might argue that J Zuma must be president or not but members of ANC voted and have given us Zuma!By the way they are the ones that gave us Thabo Mbeki.Thats democracy that we fought for bitterly against apartheid.

I was miffed when I read a comment by Habib when he was making remarks about the composition of the NEC.He lamented the lack of Thabo Mbeki’s people.A well led ANC can never have Thabo Mbeki’s people or Jacob Zuma’s people but ANC cadres.

I grew up within ANC and I know in my bones that South Africa and ANC are safe under J.Zuma.When Mandela took over in 1994 sceptics panicked that the country will go to the dogs , but it didnt!When Thabo Mbeki took over more sceptics said without Madiba we will not get anywhere , but here we are!Now Jacb Zuma has taken over and the same sceptics are focusing doom and gloom.I wish them luck but ask myself when are they going to wish South Africa luck with a new leader.

Like the proverbial African saying that when the moon starts rising dogs bark at the moon but it does stop rising!ANC have voted for change in leadership , new leadership it will be!

Similairly JZ will find himself owing debts to people whom he has promised much to. Whether he can repay these debts, and give more to the poor immediatly, is to be seen. He may find himself in a similar position to Bob after a few years, where he has to make a symbolic stand against South Africa’s wealthy in some form.

In essence, I can understand that it is unfair for some to wait, whilst others get weathier immediatly, but unless there are some wealthy people, and a decent middle class, the poor have no direction to head in. In South Africa, a child in a township can see first hand on a daily basis, what one can achieve within South Africa. If JZ damages the current growth rate, and increases unemployment by scaring investors with his machine gun songs, then the result will be even more youths with no future to aim at, and the increased disenchantment of people, who turn to crime to survive. Couple this with an increased brain drain (white and black) of skilled South Africans who need to leave to fulfil their potential overseas, due to lack of growth here, and you can begin to imagine the kind of future that a politician such as JZ offers.

Mbeki is no saint, however doesn’t see SA as limited to African standard influence and growth. We need global thinkers, and long term strategies to become a super power. Being content because we are in a better position than any other African nation, is not enough. It is not acceptable to share the wealth artificially, so we all have a low middle class income. We should be emulating the Asian countries such as Korea and Taiwan, who 30 years ago, were also in dire straits, and today can support their populations comfortably.