Rot runs deeper than Zuma – it has ANC’s soul

asks the question: what happens when Zuma goes?

THE mantra “Zuma must go” is powerfully expressed by opposition parties, some religious bodies, key individuals in business and the professions, a growing number of ANC members and even some cabinet ministers.

President Jacob Zuma (pictured) must go, but the recent decision by the ANC’s national executive committee not to demand his resignation suggests that he is the Houdini of South African politics. When he goes, and he will go, it won’t be the end of the travail within the ruling party, nor the real social political and economic challenges facing South Africa.

It’s worrying that so much emphasis is placed on his resignation and so many seem to imagine that when Zuma is out of the way all our problems will disappear. Yes, he’s the elephant in the room, but he’s surrounded by ANC leaders who have their noses firmly in the trough.

The malaise in the ANC is not merely to be found in the president’s inept leadership and corruption. There’s a sickness in its soul which will not be healed until the party, in its entirety, shifts from entitlement, nepotism and corruption. The tragedy is that the ANC wasn’t always divided, misdirected and greedy. There’s plenty of evidence that it once embraced a moral code that gave it direction.

The Freedom Charter adopted by the Congress of the People in Kliptown in 1955 inspired thousands on that day and for a long time was venerated by the ANC.

Nelson Mandela stated that the South African reality would reinforce humanity’s belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all hopes for a glorious life for all. He added: “let there be justice for all, let there be peace for all, let there be work, bread and salt for all.”

Better days

Remarkably, Zuma’s inauguration speech in 2009 speaks eloquently and movingly about the need for a moral code to guide the nation: “For as long as there are South Africans who die from preventable disease, for as long there are workers who struggle to feed their families, for as long as there are communities without clean water, decent shelter or proper sanitation, so as long as there are rural dwellers who cannot make a decent living from the land on which they live, for as long as there are women who are subjected to discrimination, exploitation or abuse, for as long as there are children who do not have means or the opportunities to receive decent education, for as long as there are people who cannot find work, we shall not rest, and we dare not falter.”

Fine and noble sentiments, but how far has South Africa come since they were first uttered?

It’s shameful and disgraceful that Zuma has observed most of these words in the breach.

To his credit Mandela realised early on that his government was departing from the vision he had described. He called together faithbased organisations to work with the state to overcome the spiritual malaise underpinning social shortcomings. At that meeting he stated:

“The hopes and dreams at times seem to be overcome by cynicism, self-centredness and fear, which lead to problems of greed and cruelty of egotism and crime and corruption.”

He clearly wasn’t satisfied with the response from religious bodies and he called another meeting which included a wide range of participants including politicians.

At this gathering he was frank: “Office and positions of responsibility are treated as opportunities for self-enrichment.” Prophetic words.

Mandela started a movement in 1998 called the Moral Regeneration Movement but it was destined to fail because its first chairman was none other than Zuma. lt was like putting the fox among the hens. It’s no wonder the ANC has thrown the moral compass out of the window.

The state has failed to tackle the problems of abject poverty. It has ignored the ogre of unemployment and neglected the poorest of the poor. The unemployed are mostly young blacks who rightly feel they have been left behind. They have no future, are hungry and angry, and are demonstrating their feelings which often turn violent.

The ANC once had a vision that lead to many social actions including providing clean water and housing. But the vision has faded and South Africa is perilously close to edging towards a failed state.

The question isn’t, when will Zuma leave office, but what will happen in the ANC when he goes? This is the question we should focus on.

The second question is even more important. Are there sufficient men and women of integrity in the ANC leadership? Those who will reclaim the moral compass and fight against corruption, cronyism, ineptitude and greed? The fact that some cabinet ministers bravely called for Zuma’s resignation means there are, and there might be many more.

Now is the time to lay the groundwork for a renewed ANC once Zuma goes.

The jury is still out, but in the meantime we must not surrender to the twin devils of hopelessness and despair. Everyone, inside and outside the ANC who cherishes the dream of a decent, efficient and honest government must fight on.

Naive? Perhaps, but hopelessness and despair lead to paralysis. We must never forget our opposition to an apartheid government which sought to dehumanise most South Africans. We fought that fight and won. We must fight again to restore democracy, fairness, honesty and equality for all.

Alex Boraine, a former liberal MP until the mid-1980s, was co-chair with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the 1990s.