The thin gospel according to ANC hopefuls
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is attempting to pray her way to the ANC presidency, while Lindiwe Sisulu is banking on her political pedigree and insists it is a “must” that she lead the governing party. These are hardly compelling arguments at a time that demands clarity of purpose and intention.
Apart from Cyril Ramaphosa, the rest of the contenders — if one can call them that — have made meek proclamations about their readiness to lead, while others are apparently still biding their time and relishing their de facto status as dark horses.
These dark horses are waiting for the right moment to emerge from the shadows to make a triumphant entry into the race. They see themselves as less divisive than their counterparts, who have openly declared their desire to lead Africa’s oldest liberation movement.
Dlamini-Zuma has thrown in her lot with the ANC Women’s League, which is led by Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini. The ANC Youth League has also lent its support to Dlamini-Zuma, as has the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association.
Dlamini-Zuma and Dlamini have been blazing the church trail from Ekurhuleni to Rustenburg and beyond, preaching the gospel of a woman candidate.
Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng — he whose prayers could not save Berning Ntlemeza from being axed as Hawks boss — has been a regular fixture of this not-so-secret campaign.
The optics of the Dlamini-Zuma and Sisulu campaigns have been depressingly out of step with reality. This is compounded by below-par political messaging. Watching their campaigns unfold is akin to witnessing a car crash in slow motion — painful and cringeworthy.
True, it seems a given that a woman will either win the ultimate prize or be accommodated as deputy president as consolation, so either of the two is a shoo-in somewhere in the equation, depending on which slate wins the day in December.
They are both word-shy and seem to lose their voices on substantive issues, but are comfortable pronouncing on inconsequential topics.
We know Dlamini-Zuma is a proponent of radical economic transformation and has made vague references to the land question.
But we know not if Dlamini-Zuma is an advocate of expropriation without compensation. We know not what her position is on the recent motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma, her former husband.
We know not what her thoughts are on state capture or the disciplinary action the ANC has decided to institute against “rebel” MPs.
And this is someone who wants to be entrusted with SA’s institutions?
Much has been made of Dlamini-Zuma being referred to as Zuma’s ex in the media. She and her cohorts have bemoaned this bitterly.
Politically speaking, though, her proximity to Zuma is all that is keeping her presidential campaign going. And that in itself speaks volumes about her political currency in the ANC — or lack thereof.
As a national executive committee member and veteran of the movement who does not have the restrictions of office placed upon her, she has more freedom than most to pronounce on issues without the threat of losing her job.
Sisulu reportedly wants the ANC to discipline Zuma but has been silent on the motion of no confidence in him. She has also kept quiet about the ANC’s actions in the aftermath of the vote.
Banking on womanhood will not cut it — they have to show they are made of sterner stuff than prayer and slogans.