Let’s avoid tirades, we don’t need to shout for solutions
A TIRADE is defined as “speech usually consisting of a long string of violent, emotionally charged words; alternative definition: A long angry speech, expressing strong disapproval – synonyms: chastising and rebuking”.
I would like to say that the pattern of confronting President Jacob Zuma in the past “motions of no confidence in the president” followed this predictable pattern.
This approach failed every time, despite assurances during the demonstrations that the anger was directed at the president and not at the ANC. However, by now it should be clear that as far as Parliament is concerned, president Zuma is the ANC and he is quite impervious to personal abuse.
The demonstrations nonetheless showed that there were dissenters in the ANC, therefore the logical thing would be to address the potential dissenters. A secret ballot will help a bit, but that is a ballot that will follow a torrent of abuse slung at a non-caring president.
So, the alternative is to make a very calm and reasoned speech before the motion is put to the vote; to calmly enumerate each and every transgression of the president, preferably ranked in order of seriousness.
Since there are so many possible criminal charges just to relate every 20th charge or 5% of the alleged transgressions would leave the 40 most serious allegations to enumerate. This can lead to a climax with his lies about Nkandla, the Constitutional Court’s verdict, the absolute recklessness of plunging SA, not once, but twice in exactly the same manner – into a serious economic downward spiral with the dubious excuse of economic reform. Such a “reform” may harm the country even more than firing finance ministers.
The gravity of this poor leadership and management of the country’s affairs can be highlighted by the dire consequences of fairly minor (by comparison) transgressions of examples from Germany, Italy , France, Belgium or even Fifa. But far more serious sins were committed by our president with zero consequences.
Rather than castigate I think the president may be more vulnerable to tuned mockery than to abuse. What he has done so far would look hilarious if all his antics were part of a staged farce, if only the consequences of his actions were not so dire for all South Africans excepting the huge spin-offs for the president and his protectors.
Just possibly, such an approach may move the ANC, especially the vast body of voters out there.
They do not need another insulting session – just state the facts and plead with the electorate, please, to open their eyes. Also use the opportunity to show the broader public why the present direction and promises of Mr Gigaba will not be to the benefit of the country. The truth does not have to be shouted to hit home.