ANC AT THE CROSS-ROAD
The ANC has finally done what many will argue it should have been done so many years ago – rein in its youth league. The ANC Youth League, in particular its president Julius Malema has been going about like he is untouchable and therefore can run away with quite anything.
The latitude he had enjoyed made him to live without limits – test the part systems and structures to the limit to a point of attaching election to the ANC nationa executive committee to endorsement of the league call for nationalisation and apropriation without compensation. Those who dared to call for the opening up of the debate economic transformation like Ministers of Mining and Public Enterprise, Susan Shabangu and Malusi Gigaba respectively.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was the ANC Youth League call for a regime change in neighbouring Botswana. This threw the government’s relationship with Botswana and other countries into disarray. The South African government was cast as a dog that was being wagged by its tail.
To stem the tide of degeneration the ANC officials laid charges against the league president Julius Malema and spokesperson Floyd Shivambu. The charges were later extended to the rest of the YL officials. In an about turn aimed at escaping censure, the league called for a political settllement. The ANC was more than willing to engage with its youth wing on an issue except the dropping of the charges.
On the eve of the disciplinary hearing of Malema and Shivambu, league members were bussed into Johannesburg to hold a vigil in support of the accused. The following saw attempts at storming the ANC headquaters. Police and journalists were attacked – so were the hawkers goods destroyed.
All sane South Africans condemned the YL sponsored violence in the vicinity of Luthuli House.
The eyes of the world are on the ANC – will the ANC restore order and respectability within its ranks or will it bring back an even more re-loaded Malema to wreak havoc in the count. The coming few days will settle this once and for all.
Blade Is Sorry!
Zapiro on the bourgeoisification of Comrade Blade
The South African Communist Party chief, Dr Blade Nzimande, has at last bowed to popular outrage at his purchase of a R1,1 million car for use in his capacity as Minister of Higher Education.
Comrade Blade has however not gone the whole way by surrendering the vulgar pair of wheels for something more working class as would be dictated by his sense of communist morality. Afterall his allies, Congress of South African Trade Unions had issued a plea to all ministers of bling to surrender their expensive toys.
Nzimande`s half-apology flies in the face of earlier statements by the SACP and the Ministry of Higher Education which had found no moral fault with the comrade`s purchase of luxury wheels. Ironically this purchase was brought to the public domain by the party of monopoly capital, the Democratic Alliance.
The expose` by the DA raised serious moral questions on those who puport to be custodians of the interests and aspirations of the working class. No wonder the media and other public commentators have come to correctly charecterised these opportunists who dupe the poor as gucci socialists whose true colours continue to be exposed on a daily basis.
Another take on Cde Blade
As for COSATU, the trade union federation got stuck on the starting-block in speaking out against Nzimande`s un-communist pair of wheels. It instead sneaked its condemnation through the back door of public outrage of such a vulgarity.
The jury is still out on the Cabinet decision to review the tendency by its members to go overboard in spending public monies.
What is tragic about the excesses of the likes of Comrade Blade is that it occurs under the shadow of a global economic crisis which has badly affected the poor who constitute his core constituency. It was therefore expected that these leaders of the working class will manifest a concience in how they spend public funds for their personal comforts.
It now remains to be seen whether Cabinet will put a lead on this wholesale looting of the public purse.
Thabo Made Us Do It
Former President Thabo Mbeki
For the functionaries of the new regime under President Jacob Zuma, everything that goes wrong in the country gets blamed on former President Thabo Mbeki.
It all started with Mbeki being written out of history by those who took control of the party machinery after the watershed ANC national conference held in 2007 in polokwane, Limpopo province.
After his election as President of the Republic of South Africa Jacob Zuma neglected to mention Mbeki in his acceptance speech. It was only at his inaugration as the fourth President of the Republic of South Africa that Zuma acknowldged and spoke in glowing terms of Mbeki.
In this address Zuma had the following to say about Mbeki:
“In June 1999, former President Thabo Mbeki came to this podium to take the oath of office, as the second President of the Republic. He took the country forward as true statesman.
“He made a remarkable contribution towards strengthening democracy, and laid a firm foundation for economic growth and development.
“He made our contry an integral part of the continent and worked tirelessly for an African rebirth. Through his leadership, South Africa`s stature grew in the continet and globally.
President Jacob Zuma
“In his last address as Head of State in September last year, he demonstrated his patriotism, and put the interests of the country above his personal interests.
Thank you Zizi for demonstrating a charecter that the ANC had always embodied since 1912.”
Of late former President Mbeki has once more come under heavy attack from the organisation that he has served with unmatched distinction over many years.
The first salvo in recent times was fired by Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, who blamed the recent spate of service delivery riots on the past administration of Mbeki.
Then there was little Julius Malema himself. In his most recent public outburst, Malema said Mbeki had taught young people bad manners and should therefore be taken to court for having violated the rights of women.
The ANC has conveniently remained quite about these attacks like it did in the past. This is obviously a cause for real concern when an organisation such as the ANC can allow one of its own to be violated such as former President Mbeki has been.
Blade Nzimande : King of Bling
King of Bling...Dr Blade Nzimande
An aspirant bourgeoisie that he is, the South African Communist Party general secretary Dr Blade Nzimande has recently joined the no-expenses-spared club of ministers by investing in a R1,1 million seven series BMW. This class suicidal act by Nzimande moved the unashamed party of monopoly capital, the Democratic Alliance, to issue a rather naughty statement which reads in part … “it appears that only the best will do for the leaders of the working class.”
The general secretary of the SACP, Nzimande, joins the exclusive club of cabinet colleagues who high poverty levels in the country notwithstanding and the sorry state of the world economy, find it morally correct to spend millions on luxury wheels.
When our ministers went on a shop till you drop spree, the SACP was one of the few voices of reason. That was the case until their general secretary, who has recreated the party according to his image, joined our kings and queens of bling.
Nzimande has since gone underground, leaving it to his government and party spin doctors to raise the middle finger to whoever dared to question his sense of communist morality.
The party of the poor today finds no fault with the general secretary`s R1,1 million purchase of a car. Nzimande`s government spin doctor, the disgraced former journalsit Ranjeni Munusamy said the car was bought out of necessity. She went on to remind the country that Nzimande is “opposed to any form of unnecessary extravagance.”
The country`s serial irritant ANC Youth League president Julius Malema may have had Nzimande in mind when he spoke of “fake ANC alliance leaders who spend most of their time drinking red wine.” As expected Nzimande`s stormtropers, the Young Communist League whose national secretary Buti Manamela abandoned its head-office for parliament come out with guns blazing against Malema.
Well said comrade Julius!
Opposition Chart Wayfoward
The leadership of three of South Africa`s opposition parties is due to meet today in a further endevour to consolidate unity efforts ahead of elections in 2011 (municipal) and 2014 (national and provincial).
Today`s meeting of the leadership of COPE, ID and UDM is a sequel to previous unity efforts by the opposition. Neither will this meeting be the last until unity is attained.
The clamour for unity among opposition parties comes after COPE`s entry into the political lanscape had shaken both the ANC and other opposition parties out of their comfort zones. As the result of the founding of COPE the ANC shed support in all but one province during the recent general elections. Opposition parties other than the DA were also not spared loss of support as they were reduced to the pale shadows of their former selves.
With no immediate prospects of an end to ANC political hegemony and arrogance, sobriety dawned on the opposition to make them realised that they had more in common than to can explore a common electoral platform.
As would have been expected ANC apologists and rented commentators heaped scorn on this untiy initiatives with some dismissing it as a constelation of lightweights which will never amount to a heavyweight in the mould of their ANC.
In a belaboured statement COSATU accused those who are for the unity of opposition parties as people who want:
” …to deregulate the labour market, repeal laws that workers from abuse by employers, and limit workers` rights. They want to make it easier to fire workers and do away with centralised bargaining, and push us back to the apartheid days when employers could do whatever they wanted with their workers.”
This and other malicious distortions have been the stock responses to the challenge COPE offered to the ANC arrogance and intolerance. In the build up to the April 22 general elections thousands of rands were laid to waste by COSATU in the production and distribution of an anti-COPE propaganda booklet : Defend our Movement! Adavance the gains of Limpopo! Expose and Isolate the Black DA!
Such is the desperation of the DA and its fellow-travellers.
It is now up to the combined opposition to rise to the challenge of defending South Africa`s fledgeling democracy.
Happy Birthday Ahmed Kathrada
Ahmed Kathrada
One of the two surving treason trialists Ahmed Kathrada turned 80 today, the other being Dr Nelson Mandela who celebrated his 91st birthday recently.
Through out his life Kathrada served the people of South Africa with distinction, more especially during the difficult days of the struggle for liberation. His name will always have a place of pride in the hearts of his country men and women.
After Mandela had been elected president of South Africa he appointed Kathrada as his parliamentary counsellor in recognition and celebration of his immense contribution to the leberation of the country and its people.
It is sad that many who bore the brunt of apartheid repression during the era of Kathrada are no more and with them went a part of the institutional memory of our struggle.
Let us celebrate by learning as much as we can from stalwarts like Kathrada while they are still alive for tomorrow they will no longer with us.
ANC Brooks No Dissent
There is little publicised fact about the ruling African National Congress – intolerance of dissenting voices which throws the party in the same league of the National party of our apartheid days.
This little publicised fact came back to mind when I read of the party reporting the City Press and Sunday Times newspapers to the Press Ombudsman for “publishing articles that illustrate the abuse of press freedom.’
The crimes of the two newspapers being to dare highlight the troubles playing themselves out within the leading organs of the ruling party - this really has nothing to do at all with a journalism that reports truthfully, accurately and fairly.
What has today become the ANC`s defining charecter of intolerance goes as far back as the founding of Robert Sobukwe`s Pan Africanist Congress.
During its earlier days the PAC gave big brother ANC a run for its money by upstaging it at any given opportunity starting with Sharpeville and Langa.
In exile the ANC did all it could to project itself as the sole and authentic voice of the South African struggle for liberation. So successful was the ANC in this regard that the gullible international community came to equate the party with the freedom struggle. Neither did Steve Biko`s Black Conciousness Movement escape the mighty wrath and intolerance of the ANC who cast the former as agents of Western imperialism.
Internal struggle initiatives such as June 16, UDF, COSATU, and SADTU were passed as the grand work of the then exiled ANC. This arrogance and intolerance carried the ANC through the negotiations that gifted us 1994.
During Thabo Mbeki`s tenure as president dissent, internal and external was not tolerated. Whatever little room for healthy dissent which survived then disappeared in the wake of the watershed 2007 Polokwane conference which also passed a resolution declaring the ANC`s intention to form a media appeals tribunal to obviously manage and manipulate media content.
Then came president Jacob Zuma`s world famous lawsuits against the media.
It now remains to be seen what awaits the country beyond the ANC leadership`s sabre-rattling, lawsuits and complaints to the Ombudsman.
On the foot-steps of president Zuma
The Prez and Deputy Minister Phaahla flanking Premier Mathale
Yesterday I took day from the hustle and bustle of work and followed the Limpopo crowds to the hitherto corner of South Africa called Muyexe. The attraction being that president Jacob Zuma was in the village of Muyexe to officially launch government`s rural development and land reform programme.
The village of Muyexe is found in the equally unknown town of Giyani in the Mopani district of the Limpopo province. I am wondering whether many know or ever heard of this current flavour of the moment that Muyexe is. Or even the town of Giyani, our Mopani ditrict and better still the Limpopo province.
At times I become delusional and think I am more well-known than all these entities put together!
That was the case until our intrepid president saw Nkandla in Muyexe and declared during his maiden state of the nation address:
“Working together with our people in the rural areas, we will ensure a comprehensive rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform and food security as our third priority…While having drawn the necessary lessons from earlier rural development initiatives, we have choosen the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality as the first of the pilot projects for the campaign.”
- The Minister, the Prez and the Premier
As a result we came to know that the town of Giyani is found in the province of Limpopo and that it was once the capital of the Gazankulu bantustan. Today Giyani is the administrative centre of the Mopani ditrict municipality.
Happy 100 Days Mr President!
President Jacob Zuma
Today marks Jacob Zuma`s first 100 days since his inaugration as the fourth post-apartheid president. From what I could gather from our provincial movers and shakers the president will spend the best part of today in the village of Muyexe outside the town of Giyani in the province of Limpopo.
President Zuma will be presiding over the official launch of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme. This is an intiative to ensure that rural development takes place at the required depth and scope.
What this will mean on his first 100 days and his first term on the hot seat will only be laid bare in the fullness of time.
As for the first 100 first hundred days, it is said to be an American media concept meant to give a new leader time to show the nation what stuff he is made of. Our Jacob Zuma is also subjected to this ritual.
How has he fared?
Me thinks that beyond the appointment of cabinet and many other appointments, there hasn`t been much to write home about his first 100 days in government. Moreso when he has been conspicous in his absence as a leader when the country was crying out for his leadership to show the way.
The least we can be grateful for is that the heavens haven`t fallen over us! We can no look forward to some serious business of government to take the nation out of its current confusion.
Running with Horses – Dr Allan Boesak
The Book
The much awaited book by Dr Allan Boesak, Running with Hoerses – reflections of an accidental politicians, has finally been released.
Some of us have been waiting for the book out of curiosity since Dr Boesak, obviously out of bitterness and frustration, had threatened to reveal names of those who benefited from aid money which saw him do time in prison.
Dr Boesak whom his detractors will always see as a fraudster and a thief went to prison proclaiming innocence from charges of fraud and theft against him. He maintains this plea of innocence up to this day.
He feels betrayed by his former organisation, the ANC, whose leadership maintained an undignified silence through out his ordeal.
The books makes for interesting reading and is an eye-opener on the past third years that covers his life as an activist in the church and in public life. No holy cows are spared in Dr Boesak`s relentless pursuit of justice.
During these thirty years Dr Boesak was in the thick of things which among others included:
- the international isolation campaign of apartheid South Africa
- internal resistance which included the formation of the United Democratic Front
- the release of political prisoners and the unbanning of formations such as the ANC
- the dawn of democracy and freedom.
- his marginalisation at the hands of ANC leaders
UDF Logo
The influnce of Dr Boesak by the philosophy of Black Conciousness and the readings of Black Theology are also dealt with in much detail in the book.
Of interest to many will obviously be how he deals with his conviction for fraud and theft charges which saw him spending time in prison. On this subject he puts aside a full chapter to deal at length with how donor funds were accounted for informed by political circumstances of the time which demanded that very little information be given away.
What however remains unanswered in the book, is who were the beneficiaries of donor funds which found their way into the coffers of Dr Boesak`s Foundation for Peace and Justice. What get is:
“Assistance ranged from legal aid to emergency aid to continued funding for the new campaigns needed to combat the new oppresive situation caused by the state of mergency. Among those assisted were trade unions and community organisations, families and individuals.”
Still on this subject Dr Boesak goes on to write:
“In order to persuade the court, had I testified, I would have had to call Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, Beyers Naude’ and Frank Chikane and many members of parliament who had administered or received monies for whatever reason in those dark and difficult days.”
Dr Allan Boesak
Dr Boesak`s anger and bitterness is with the ANC which he feels let him him down by not speaking out in his defence even the party was privy how funds by the Foundation for Peace and Justice had been spent.
He is however grateful to former president Thabo Mbeki who granted him a pardon which saw his criminal slate being wiped clean.
Running with Horse is welcome addition to the body of literature on South Africa`s struggle for liberation and deserves a place of honour and pride in every family`s bookshelf.
