The people show ANC how to lead SA

THE THOUSANDS who took to the streets to send a message to President Zuma that he must go are the true democrats who care about this country’s future.

They understand, in a way the ANC leader and his party’s thugs do not, that last week’s cabinet reshuffle makes the hardships of the poor much worse.

Yesterday a second rating agency, Fitch, downgraded South Africa’s foreign and local credit ratings to junk status, citing the reshuffle and policy of “radical economic transformation” as the reasons for its decision.

This will make it harder for the country to borrow the money needed to pay the salaries of civil servants, pay social-security grants, and spend money on infrastructure. It makes it even less likely that investors, foreign or local, will risk their money in a debt-ridden economy.

All this makes it harder for the economy to grow, for education to improve and for the poor to escape the poverty trap. Interest rates will go up. Pensions will be worth less.

Yesterday, middle-class citizens showed that they had had enough. They showed greater courage than those leaders of the ANC who first spoke out against the reshuffle, but then meekly fell in line. These leaders showed they were too weak or compromised to defend and nurture the best traditions of the party.

Pitted against the peaceful protesters were ANC supporters spoiling for a fight. Wrongly, they either truly believe or have been manipulated into viewing an attack on Zuma as an attack on the party. There are many good people in the ANC. Why are they powerless to act?

Zuma was legitimately elected president of the country, but has lost all moral authority because of greed and toadying to the Guptas.

We all want South Africa to become a winning nation. To do so, it needs to take the high road of healing divisions so we can build instead of break. And we need leaders we can respect.