Despicable group chosen
● ANC announces its electoral list
The face of the ANC is there for all to see.
Its champions of democracy, good governance and free of corruption, to carry the flag of integrity and morality as custodians of value for the next five years are: Malusi Gigaba, Bathabile Dlamini, Faith Muthambi, Nomvula Mokonyane, Mosebenzi Zwane, Tina Joemat-Petterson, David Mahlobo and others as per the top 100 cadres which were proudly announced by the ANC.
What a miserable coterie to lead us on!
And to add to the ANC’s woes, its spokesmen, Pule Mabe and Zizi Kodwa, are alleged to have been involved in sexual crimes.
It is like a sick, broken refrain: “The same old … same old!”
Does the ANC have no shame whatsoever?
So much then for Cyril Ramaphosa’s often voiced promises of rooting out malfeasance.
He now hides behind the supposedly strict ANC code of conduct that you are innocent until found guilty.
Morality and clean governance mean nothing.
The Zondo and other commissions, as far as Ramaphosa and his fellow ANC cadres are concerned, are nothing but hot air.
The overwhelming evidence by many given under oath before judges is totally disregarded when supposedly evaluating the suitability of the selected ANC representatives.
It will take years before these culprits of mismanagement and downright corruption will be brought to court, if ever.
And so, these ANC fat cats will again be elected by an unsuspecting, uneducated electorate, and will be free to carry on with looting, pillaging and mismanaging our country.
This is akin to a suspected rapist detained because of overwhelming evidence of his guilt, being granted bail, free to rape again until the court sits once more.
It all speaks to a lack of leadership.
Ramaphosa is, himself, so complicit by the various factions within the ANC that his hands are tied.
However, nothing is more hypocritical than his oftrepeated railing against corruption.
He was after all chosen by Jacob Zuma as his number two for some five years.
Consequently, he must have been aware of all the despicable shenanigans going on.
And that his very silence implicated him will forever be remembered by history as a blot on his presidency.
One can only conjecture how many times, as Zuma’s close confidant and friend, he was entertained by the Guptas?
However, that he will attest before the Zondo commission, as he should, is most unlikely.
The irony of Ramaphosa’s huge contribution to formulating one of the world’s finest constitutions and then subsequently, by his actions, denigrating its very principles will be recorded by history.
It is evident there is no political will to rid the country of corruption.
It is merely an election rallying call to secure votes as eliminating corruption is the political flavour of the time.
Asking the ANC to fix its mess is like recalling Markus Jooste to fix Steinhoff! Time is of the essence.
If we do not want more of the same by the same failed and corrupt ANC regime, we need to vote it out of power once and for all!
If we do not act decisively now, there is simply no hope and what could happen in our beloved SA will make the Zimbabwe debacle look like a picnic.
Talbot Cox Schoenmakerskop, Port Elizabeth