A chronic illness

ONE definition for “chronic” disease is “one that persists for a long time or one that recurs regularly”.

As far as confidence is concerned, there is a lack of confidence in the economic policies, a lack of confidence in the management of Eskom, the SABC, Transnet, South African Airways etc.

All of these doubts are chronic and simmering beneath the surface of the South African political waters, but none is as visible, chronic and persistent as the lack of confidence in President Jacob Zuma by opposition parties, clearly of a huge section of ANC stalwarts, and a wide swathe of public opinion.

The president came out singing and dancing after the eighth motion of no confidence in his leadership was defeated, but this time not all Members of Parliament of his party remained mute.

They could venture forth and could at last voice their opposition “without reprisals” because the Constitutional Court could sense that dissident Members of Parliament had much to fear, and ruled a secret ballot was permissible.

The result was that 26 members of his party voted for the motion, and now not only the president, but others are baying for blood.

They are bad losers, revealing bad grace and mean and petty dispositions which they attempt to hide behind a mantra of “against party rules”.

It is not always easy to cure recurrent malaria, a recurrent infection or a recurrent cancer, but it should be in the country’s interest to cure as speedily as possible a disease that causes honourable people, like the majority of the leaders of the opposition political parties, as well as solid political commentators, the judiciary and senior economists, to cringe.

To witness the president and some sycophants spitting venom at his detractors is, in fact, sad to watch.