Time to end the politics of praise singing
The last and first addresses of our past and present presidents provided a poignant portrait of a fundamental and striking difference between the men.
Jacob Zuma told the nation he believed he had to be removed through constitutional means because he was elected that way but he would resign anyway because his party told him to. President Cyril Ramaphosa said these simple but remarkable words, which left this patriot sighing with relief: “SA must come first in everything we do.”
We are well accustomed by now to Zuma’s refrain that the ANC was more important than the 55.9-million citizens of this country, which is why his presidency became a chess game of patronage politics, benefiting a chosen few in his organisation and his family and friends.
Ramaphosa’s message was the polar opposite. For the first time in years, the words “humility, faithfulness and dignity” were heard from the governing party leader in the National Assembly. But it would be foolish for South Africans to commit the mistake the ANC, its members and a dangerously large chunk of its leaders made with Zuma, allowing a personality cult to develop around an individual, so much so that the blindness to his excesses became nauseating and downright mystifying.
uBaba, as he was affectionately known, took on a near mythical status, so much so that people declared they would kill, or die, for him and defend him with their bums. This soon led to delusions of grandeur. Zuma once even compared himself to Jesus. He professed not to know what he had done wrong to warrant his removal. But what he should have asked was what he had done right to warrant his already all-too-lengthy stay in office.
Even in his defeat, one of his ardent followers and defenders, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, blamed the media for Zuma’s downfall. The religion that his followers created around him deluded them into thinking that the president could do no wrong.
Zuma was not let down by the media, by the opposition or his opponents in the ANC. He was let down by the blind devotion of his defenders when they allowed him to violate the Constitution on Nkandla and allowed him to break institutions key to a functioning democracy, such as the National Prosecuting Authority, the Hawks and the Treasury.
Never again. The personality cult mentality must end now.
Ramaphosa is now president of the Republic of SA. He is not a messiah.
He himself said that he is a “servant of the people of SA”.
As such his administration should be scrutinised and criticised with as much rigour as Zuma’s was.
After years of silent watchfulness, ordinary South African citizens contributed to Zuma’s demise.
Duarte had trouble telling us what Zuma had done wrong, but a simple visit to the website of the Electoral Commission of SA would have enlightened her.
Media and opposition parties did not vote with their feet to ensure the ANC lost three key cities in the local government election in 2016.
The media and the opposition did not find that Zuma did not uphold, protect and defend the Constitution when he failed to implement the public protector’s report.
Ramaphosa should learn from the mistakes of his predecessor. That those around him who are singing his praises are the biggest threat to his prospects of success. The Good Ship SA now needs a captain clear in his vision for the country, on how he will govern without the influence of hangers-on but listen and consult.
The Zuma administration accomplished one very critical thing. It mobilised citizens, churches, labour, opposition parties and civil society in an unprecedented way.
Citizens did not just make their voices heard through the ballot. The ANC’s electoral support declined steadily during his tenure but also through taking to the streets.
Civil society’s prominence rose once again as it challenged key decisions in court.
The ANC began having conversations about itself, about how it had slipped into the morass Zuma’s leadership created.
The remnants and creators of the governing party’s decline remain inside.
In its national executive committee, its branches and provincial structures and even in its top six. Especially in its top six leadership.
This is not the time for complacency and a slip back into the slumber that allowed the capture of SA.
Ramaphosa has a huge task on his shoulders and should be supported, but his presidency and that of all future leaders should be monitored, scrutinised and picked apart the way Zuma’s was in the end.
It is the only way he will truly become the servant leader he professes to wish to be and the only way SA can be placed back on a path to prosperity.
No more messiahs, nor more personality cults.
RAMAPHOSA’S PRESIDENCY … SHOULD BE MONITORED, SCRUTINISED AND PICKED APART THE WAY ZUMA’S WAS IN THE END