Though former president Thabo Mbeki was often guilty, to a fault, of defending his administration, nothing could have prepared South Africans for the inappropriate appointments and point-blank refusal to accept wrongdoing among those who occupy positions of power or who are allied to current President Jacob Zuma.
It’s as if a totally different set of rules applies to the individuals concerned with no conduct bad enough or occasioning of sufficient damage to merit dismissal or suitable sanction.
George W Bush’s “you are either with us or against us” springs to mind with “us” comprising those who owe blind loyalty to the president and to a lesser degree those who are members of the African National Congress and certain of its alliance partnership members.
In essence out of a population of about 47 million this elite would equate to about a million people or constitute 2.12% of the total.
Yet in terms of the positions they currently hold as well as the steadfast refusal to entertain any action being taken against them, they are fast gaining a vice-like grip on power in this country.
Long term the price the ANC will pay for this loyalty will be a sacrifice in popularity as ordinary citizens become frustrated by lack of opportunity and incompetence.
Start with the appointment of Menzi Simelane as head of the National Director of Public Prosecutions and then add Moe Shaik, head of the SA Secret Service, and Bheki Cele, National Police Commissioner, and you have an impregnable ring of steel made up of loyalists who will defend Zuma against all comers.
Unfortunately for South Africans these are the men who hold the posts that are supposed to form the spearhead in the fight against crime as well as being responsible for the little matter of national security. As a result of their link to the ANC, and in particular the president, question must arise regarding where their priorities lie.
In the case of Simelane, his integrity has already been questioned following Frene Ginwala’s finding that he had in all likelihood interfered with the independence of the National Prosecuting Authority at the Ginwala Inquiry. The fact that Simelane now heads the NPA itself, through his appointment by Zuma, raises serious doubts over whether he would be willing, or indeed able, to confront those in power.
Cele is the man who wept openly during the president’s trial. Accordingly as head of the police it is inconceivable that he would sanction, never mind pursue, the president or any senior members of his administration.
In terms of national security and the appointment of Moe Shaik as spy boss, we are left wondering how much of the agency’s capability will be utilised in protecting the country and how much in protecting the president against those perceived to be disloyal to him. Shaik himself is a Zuma loyalist prepared to go the extra mile as we witnessed during the Hefer Commission.
Regard must then be had to the manner in which the ANC is dealing with ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema and national spokesperson Jackson Mthembu. In the case of the former, who is probably the AWB recruitment poster pin-up model with the numbers he must be driving into that camp, we have an individual who can literally say and do what he likes with impunity. Mthembu, supposedly older, wiser and acutely aware of public relations, allegedly caught drunk driving in the same week as the Soweto Mini Coopers murder disaster was not even suspended.
Their cases are merely symptomatic of the illness of looking after loyalists rather than exhaustive of the endless number of examples of this type of conduct that exists.
Of course as soon as anyone within the ANC calls for accountability, a fight immediately breaks out as is the case with the current spat regarding ministers having to appear before Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts. Allegedly Chief Whip Mathole told journalists that ministers should not be made to appear before Scopa because they had a country to run.
How this would obviate the need to be accountable to a parliamentary standing committee hasn’t been clarified as yet but when it comes to the independence of state institutions and ministers being held responsible for their personal performance, the ANC are in serious need of a number of lectures.
What cannot be in dispute is the fact that the country as a whole has not been this insecure or polarised since the days of apartheid.
The endless examples of the government and ruling party standing back or actively condoning the behaviour of loyalists leaves the impression that when it comes to certain individuals, seemingly considered to be vital to their own self-interests, they are untouchable.
In this regard we have the ANC national executive committee announcing that it would be disciplining leaders who engage in spats or trade insults in public all the while trying to condone or play down the conduct of Malema and Mthembu. A total disregard for what the country sees as priorities.
The longer this goes on the wider the rift is going to get between those who are part of this elite and the rest.
A good example being the Zanu-PF who were by far the most popular party after the liberation of Zimbabwe but who refused to look beyond their own elite. When they lost the referendum in 2000, instead of moving the party in the direction of the voters they decided to discipline the ungrateful traitors who dared to vote against them.
The result of this being that by the last election, despite refusing proper monitors, wholesale fraud, murder, intimidation and even controlling the results, they had to concede defeat.
That’s how far their popularity has fallen.
A perfect model to demonstrate how a highly popular party with seemingly good intentions at the start can be ruined by greed and cronyism.
Instead of learning the lesson and going the other way by ensuring that BEE means blacks across South Africa benefiting and affirmative action programmes that benefit all and don’t discriminate unnecessarily, the ANC is following the proven disaster that is the Zanu-PF on the road to nowhere.
The exact same format of making incompetence untouchable because they prize loyalty above ability and which ends with the inability to deliver to the electorate due to the lack of skills in the appropriate area is starting to manifest itself.
Again one need simply have regard to Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, the worst economic disaster the world has witnessed, to know how the story ends. A barren wasteland where citizens are kept in check down the barrel of a gun.
Yet in the face of that example and while currently the party with a substantial majority and every chance to make it work, the question that now needs to be asked is why the ANC is fast making its way towards an election where voting for them will be considered untouchable?
So what?
Well said! As usual!
It’s begining to loo like Zim Zim
Every where you go
It’s ….
@Michael- Maybe you should start packing your bags to Australia. Why are you still here when you think we’re going Zimbabwe direction? Your pessimism predicts that this country will become a dump? Then run as fast as you can, Australia is waiting for you.
As for most Black Africans there’s no other place to go, no Australia or Holland. We belong here, whatever comes must come.
Contrary to you, I see a fast developing country with great prospects. I see removal of barriers to entry artificially created by apartheid. Is the competition too harsh for you?
I don’t think you’re a thought leader at all. You’re just blowing recycled nonsense from your Saturday night braais where you declare SA dead!
Anyway let me leave you with your pessimism I’ve got my investments to track on the stock market… (by the way SA stocks are still at a bargain, my take)
There is certainly a great deal of anxiety ‘in the air’ in SA, and it appears to be quite broadly spread across race and class lines, which is significant. The dirty laundry of the tendering business is out in the open from Sandton to Soweto. Too much criticism seems to be levelled towards the President as an individual – the reality is given the ethos of the party, he has very little room to manoeuvre – certainly whilst his allegiance to the party is at least equal to that to the nation. Hence committees and collectives jockey for influence, each with their agendas. Curiouser and curiouser: racial nationalists call for nationalisation, communists for clean behaviour,the end of plundering the treasury and limits on individual excesses. Centrists carry on collecting taxes and spending them, but have very little to say. A few tired liberals pretend to be an opposition. Business has hardly anything to say, intimidated into watching nervously on the sidelines. The good news, if there is any, is that voiceless honest, hard working citizens of all races carry on working and keeping SA Inc running.
spot on.
Traps, the question that once again needs to be asked: What are the alternatives to voting for the ANC? The DA will need a strong non white leader to take the helm before they will be able to make any inroads into the ANC demographic. COPE have floundered disappointingly. Leaving not much else of any substance.
Time and time again in the histories of democracies, a strong opposition has proven to improve the general governance of the ruling party. We don’t have that essential component for democracy in South Africa.
I’m glad someone is finally speaking out. we live in Zim for 7 years leaving only recently & we saw, to our horror, the cloud of Zim hovering over SA.
Crisis? What Crisis?
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/03/12/the_many_wives_of_jacob_zuma?page=0,1
Zuma is top news on foreign policy magazine
I wouldnt hold my breath on ANC-NEC taking action against some of its ill-disciplined leaders.The same NEC promised to take action against those responsible 4 tarnishing de name of de then Acting President Motlanthe after allegations of him n dat infamous 24 year old were exposed 2 b lies.Zuma promised 2 name n shame those behind de succesion noise n spat whilst addressing Cosatu’s congress last year.
Traps, I hope you are saying a thousand hail marys for voting JZ and his cronies into office last year.
Methinks your children will never forgive you for the legacy you leave them.
Traps,
If I remember correctly, you voted ANC at the last election…
From the sound of things, you must have a shocked look on your face Traps. Wassamatta – did you not see this coming.
@ Robin Grant
Fiding virtue in any of the other opposition parties is much easier the more unscrupulously rotten the ANC becomes. It is quite simple. Each one of us must become political animals and fight for the life of this country. We will fight for your benefit too Sipho, even though you would not appreciate the gesture.
VOTE ANY PARTY BUT THE ANC. There is nothing wrong with the DA. The whole country can be well run like the Western Cape.
I’m sure there is an awful lot of people tempted to say – ‘we told you so’. But have also admired your frequent bouts of optimism, and wished that in the long run ‘common sense’ would prevail. As with all revolutions or substantive shifts in society, there is accompanying chaos, fear and despotism. Its bound to get a great deal worse before it gets better! Societal values and public ethics are crushed – once that happens – its a downward slide that gains momentum – a la Zim.
Seems Celes crime is to weep during the presidents trial. hell the man had a reason to weep. president was being persecuted.
If cying is a crime then the lacrimous Kaunda should
never have been president
‘Removal of the barriers to entry’. What’s that, Sipho? The requirement for honesty? No more barriers to having your fingers perpetually in the till?
@sipho – you make little sense, man. nice, emotive rant though.
‘Why are you still here when you think we’re going Zimbabwe direction?’ please explain how it follows that someone raising valid criticisms of the country should therefore leave the country. that is a ridiculous leap of logic. critics, especially in the media, are absolutely vital to the health of any democracy. silence them and the prospect of zimbabwe looms even larger.
‘Your pessimism predicts that this country will become a dump? Then run as fast as you can, Australia is waiting for you.’ no, the way things are going predicts that. trapido is merely making explicit that which is perhaps not obvious to the less insightful (ahem, ahem).
‘As for most Black Africans there’s no other place to go, no Australia or Holland. We belong here, whatever comes must come. ‘ how presumptious! that is the case for many non-blacks too, sipho.
‘Is the competition too harsh for you?’ haha, how old are you? trapido’s complaints have less to do with stiff competition than they do with the anc’s patronage system that is slowly eating away at south africa’s democratic credentials.
nevertheless, you’ll still vote anc. you’ll continue to see near-zero care for those the party alleges to represent. you’ll continue to see democratic decay. south africa under the anc is in trouble. south africa needs a new anc and proper opposition. till then, the downward spiral goes on and on.
The problem that we have here lies with the “alliance” between the ruling party, SACP and Trade Unions. The Trade Unions especially should be the government’s strongest opposition, who keep the ANC on track in terms of good inclusive governance and service delivery. However, these organisations handed over their clout when they jumped into bed with the government they should be watching.
So until there is an opposition that isn’t seen as a disgruntled white minority opposed to change, the status quo will remain.
well, traps. you voted for them. shame.
it will be another 15-20 years before south africa even starts to get to the level of zimbabwe though. the problem with zim is that there were enough people who believed in education and the opportunities there to to realise that zanu were ripping them off.
south africa is nowhere near this point, and south africans still blindly believe in the anc.
shame.
Must we be sad, angry or frightened – or all three? We have the most dangerous man in South Africa as our President and Malema as his “deputy” – almost as dangerous. We have no idea what the President actually thinks or what he is plotting and planning to actually do with South Africa – you are right Michael – this is the most insecure we have been since apartheid. Doubt is Faith’s companion, they say, and Fear is Faith’s enemy – and fear leads to dubious actions and provides a feeding ground for undesirable forces to take root. The ANC leadership and its related ANCYL is fast becoming the enemy of RSA – the catalyst that will bring this country to its knees – how tragic! How absolutely tragic, particularly when one considers its proud, disciplined, focussed, service orientated leadership of the pre Zuma decades! May God help us – really!
Sipho, agree with you that it is important to be positive and thus contribute to a thriving SA but not at the cost of a “head in the sand” loyalty is everything attitude. The Zim situation has adversly affected all Zims; black, white, all political parties.
Take honest politicial commentators/profits seriously, such people were saying exactly the same in Zim but were also jeered and shut up but what they warned about has come about X 1000 worse.
So don’t jeer and copy the Nats by urging commentators to immigrate but contest their points and use your wisdom to rebut them. The country needs its collective wisdom to focus its way forward not diving downwards in destructive petty in fightening.
Applaud Michael for staying and trying to make a positve difference here and not elsewhere.
Brent
The good news is that we/you can still talk about it – when that stops then we will really look like Zim
Why do people always say that whites should pack their bags and leave for Australia? The writing is on the wall for all to see and history is repeating itself in South Africa as it was in Zimbabwe. We already have admitted that 90% of handed over farms are now producing nothing. The ANC thinks that Mugabe is “Africa’s Greatest Son” departure the murder and mayhem that he has created. What hope do we have other than to point out that we are following the same path to destruction. ANC supporters will starve in their glory as the bread basket that was once South Africa because a starving basket case as is Zimbabwe. “We are starving, we have no service delivery but we will vote ANC forever.
Democracy entitles people to vote for someone else if the party that they originally voted for does not deliver. Well we may as well have a dictatorship but in our case the dictators have been voted in and are there forever to the detriment of the country.
ANC supporters vote for destruction and that is what they are getting.
There are none so blind as those who will not see. We are self destructing whilst the ANC supporters cheer and celebrate.
We live in and Idiocracy – not a democracy.
Its not the way of Zim, its the way of the whole of Africa. The grim descent into chaos, whether it be Zim, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia…….take your pick. And by the way Sipho, ever given some thought as to why the richest continent on the planet has the poorest people? Those in power become consumed with greed and power and acquire these at the cost of the poor.
And Sipho, while you are about it, have a look at the Australian economy, compare it to ours and do the same with the currencies. Aussie $’s buy much more than ZAR.
Buthelezi once said “give my people something to lose and you will have a healthy economy” No one in the ANC listened and they continue to send poor voter cannon fodder to the scrap heap.For that is how they will survive.
I agree with Panchette wholeheartedly! Sad as this is for many of us. Vote for anyone other than the ANC – PLEASE!! Before it is too late!
A really well balanced view of what is happening in SA. Unfortunately the reality of the situation only really hits home once you take a view from the outside. We move overseas on an adventure 3 years ago and having had a taste of decent law and order, decent medical and schooling as well as politicians who are 100% accountable there is no way we could return to SA under the current system Very sad but true. My heart goes out to th South Africans who have nowhere to go.
Sipho, why does it seem to me that in Africa a sense of shame is regarded as destructive to your self esteem? It is the opposite. It builds character. Zuma must say , “I am wrong. I am sorry”. Same with his sycophant Julius. There are many things going wrong in this country. You have to bedeaf and blind or a kneejerk apologist for the government to deny that.
dont know what u talking about-i see SA as a country that is rapidly developing(addressing the imbalances of the past.finish and klaar
Well put, Traps – I honestly believe that we need a strong civil society movement – something like the UDM of the 1980′s that cuts across racial, religious and ethnic lines to put pressure on the government and prevent the “Zanufication” of SA.
The REAL warning bells will go off when special attention and priveleges are given to the police and military – as happened in Zimbabwe, and SA under PW Botha.
Some of the warning bells are already ringing pretty loud – a number of Police stations appear to be heavily politicised (rural Police stations in Limpopo, Mowbray in Cape Town), and one can not be sure of fair and proper treatment at these stations.
There are some signs of a civil society peacefull revolt – the rates and tax boycotts are nothing other than service delivery protests – these boycotters should hold hands with and support their brothers and sisters in the townships and informal areas.
@ Sipho
We want to make this country work, and have a prosperous SA with full employment, great education and social services, and a caring effective government – why should anyone be forced to leave the country of their birth that they love in order to live a decent life?
If you took the trouble to check our own governments’s statistics, you will see that S Africans of ALL RACES emigrate and work overseas (become economic emigrants).
The common denominator is NOT their race – it is having a good education and internationally marketable skills.
………continued
You are quite right when you say that the majority of black South Africans have no other place to go – this is equally true of the majority of white, coloured and Indian majorities.
Sipho of course many aspects of life are far better now than in the days of Apartheid – for ALL races.
What concerns many of us are the signs that some of the same vices that the Apartheid government had appear to being mimicked by our democratic government.
A very incisive take on the situation.
It seems that the only response you ever get when higlighting the shortcoming of the ruling party is to blame the media, innocent until proven guilyy, leave the country or blame it on apartheid!
@ Sipho: You portray the image of an ostrich with it’s head in the sand, totally oblivious to what’s happening around it. May you continue with your wise investments.
South Africa is being led by a group of militarists who have no governing skills, whatsoever. Brilliant at waging wars and revolutions, that’s all. The likes of Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Amin and Mugabe, comes to mind. We are going to follow the same route of self-destruction. I admire those readers who still have some form of hope for the country, putting forward ideas which might bring about changes so longed for. However, in my book, the die has been cast. It seems to be the African way. First, total destruction, then rebuilding. Look to the north, brothers and sisters. The examples are there for all to see.
it did not even taken zim 15 years to be where it is, it all startred like this and now if nothing happens and they dont take action then trouble is brewing and i know t for a fact, JZ is a good leader in terms of mobilizing people but not the president material
When ever you decide to take a critical view of any issue in the public discourse, and then you draw parallels with Zimbabwe, it all appears racist.
If we leave out the possible outcomes of our goverment’s supposed mistakes and deal with the issue of accountability by our public representatives.
Clearly there is no coherence and commitment in our government about how they should account to the masses. There is also a concerted efford to frustrate any institution setup to hold them accountable. If we loose it here then there will be trouble.
No, it isn’t looking like Zimbabwe. It’s looking like any badly-run country; the United States or Britain spring to mind.
It’s stupid to push the Zimbabwe button if you want rational debate; it just brings the racist loonies out of the woodwork. Also, it doesn’t make for relevant comparisons.
And, by the way, Mr. Trapido, the examples you cite are trivial. The real issues are economic. The reactionary nature of the Zuma government is as bad as its incompetence (although the two are often linked, of course).
You have not stayed in zimbabwe for morethan a month to just
compare like that. Unfortunatly for you. Your uncle, aunts,
grandfathers, grandmothers and their companies still own
most of the land that you say is about to turn to zim.
you are afraid because you have not given whole heartedly as
you are worried of the outcomes of this country.
You and zapiro have good laughs about the problems caused
by your uncles. You animate the gorrila politician in a suite
that can’t type nor email and has a lot of sex.
You don’t animate the boere family shooting rabbit in
the oversised farm with not much happening in it. Eating biltong loke its
the end of the world speaking zulu coz they say the country has changed.
It is zimbabwe in the boere farms before mugabe came.
So focus on the real problems. This is why we subscribe.
Be the leader of the thought, your kids and their future in SA zim look alike
@Sipho – 2 problems with your thinking 1. The best performing stock market in 2008 was Zimbabwe. The more Robert printed money the higher the stocks went. So a great performing stcok market is not indicative of a reduction in poverty. Guess what .. the west is printing money to avoid a recession … what happens next? Inflation makes the poor poorer and the rich?
2. What if good south africans (all race groups)/ minority groups stop paying tax like the rates trust funds? Remember we (the minority groups)still own the economy. The minority but educated groups in the rest of africa were too small to make a difference, here in SA they are strong and are not made up of ex-pats but multi generation africans. So we have a country to fight for.
Totally agree. It’s been a horrible few years – as a previous ANC supporter I’ve been deeply let down. Cele is an imbecile (“a friend of a criminal is a criminal”) Mo Shaik is one the most sleazy people to have ever walked the planer, and is responsible for the destruction of the scorpions, it’s all just horrible.
South Africans and the Government – http://ramblingsofaninsanewoman.blogspot.com/
I do believe that South Africa under this ANC Black power non demoratic government is taking South Africa down the road of no return,yes another Zimbabwe for sure,this is my conviction having been born there and lived through english segregation and apartheid,and also been involved in politics,with both the UP and the Nats,I know both sides of the political stories,and can say that both were not democratic parties,they were minority white parties,in which non whites of all thnic origin had no say.But despite all this South Africa was a much better administered country than under the ANC,The DA with Helen Zille as leader is doing well in trying to stop our country becoming a cesspool