Zuma and the ANC will follow the IFP into oblivion
OPPOSITION parties must give President Jacob Zuma a standing ovation for giving them ammunition to win more votes in 2019.
Zuma deserves an honorary degree, majoring in flops. Others in a similar league are Chief Patrick Mphephu, Charles Sebe, Oupa Gqozo, Pieter Willem Botha, Dina Pule, Ndaweni Mahlangu and the late Sicelo Shiceka, who visited his girlfriend in a Swazi jail using public funds. His girlfriend is serving a jail sentence for drugdealing.
Dr Lionel Mtshali, the predecessor of Dr Frank Mdlalose and Dr Ben Ngubane – both IFP premiers of KwaZulu-Natal – flopped many times, making bizarre statements and dealing ruthlessly with his detractors. Then came the 2004 elections, when the IFP lost power. Like the ANC today, Mtshali and Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi alienated intellectuals and replaced them with hardliners like David Ntombela, Phillip Powell, Themba Khoza, Gideon Zulu and John Mchunu.
IFP intellectuals like Nhlanhla Khubisa, Otty Nxumalo, Gabriel Ndabandaba and Zanele Magwaza-Msibi found themselves marginalised.
In the ANC, intellectuals like Joel Netshitenzhe, Ayanda Ntsaluba, Raymond Suttner, Mike Mabuyakhulu, Khulu Mbatha, Sydney Mufamadi, Trevor Manuel, Barbara Hogan and others have been pushed to the back and their positions taken by the likes of Bathabile Dlamini, Nomvula Mokonyane, Jimmy Manyi, Collen Maine, Des van Rooyen, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Marius Schoeman, Andile Lungisa, Sihle Zikalala, Mosebenzi Zwane, Kebby Maphatsoe, Super Zuma, Edward Zuma and S’dumo Dlamini.
Mokonyane said: “If the rand drops, we will pick it up” – an unintellectual statement that the likes of Ronnie Kasrils, Prof Kader Asmal, Edna Molewa, Tokyo Sexwale, Sam Shilowa and Mathole Motshekga would never have made.
She also vowed to “defend Zuma by displaying her buttocks”, which we are still waiting to see.
Zwane issued a statement that the cabinet had decided to institute a judicial probe into banks. He was moved from the Free State legislature, where he was MEC, to replace the experienced Ngoako Ramatlhodi, who refused to “visit” the ANC deployment committee at Saxonwold.
The IFP refused to remove Mtshali and the ANC is doing the same, even risking going to below 50% in 2019. It was widely reported that SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said: “If South Africa is serious about dealing with corruption, the first to bite the dust should be President Zuma.” He continued: “If the ANC is unable to remove Zuma, then the people will remove him and they will remove the ANC.”
Nzimande also said it was difficult to defend Zuma, and Senzo Mchunu has said he is a liability. Can the ANC learn from the disastrous leadership of Mtshali, who ushered the IFP into oblivion?
The people are beginning to punish the ANC and, come 2019, they will not stay at home but go to the polls to vote for other political parties because the ANC is protecting one man who is a liability to his party.
From: DINEO MOLATEDI,
THE state of our country is of great concern and is shaming all the leaders who sacrificed so much to liberate us. Those leaders include the likes of Oliver Tambo, who spent more than 30 years in exile; Nelson Mandela, who served 27 years behind bars; and Robert Sobukwe, whom the National Party government feared even when he was on Robben Island.
Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi opposed apartheid by refusing to enter into any negotiations about the future of this country, unless political organisations like the ANC and PAC and their leaders were unbanned and released.
All this remarkable history is going down the drain. Jacob Zuma is destroying this country. He wants to be filthy rich at the expense of the poor. Our heroes and heroines must be turning in their graves.
Through power and corruption, nepotism and bribery, we have seen his true colours.