‘Revelation’ a reminder of why education is important
THE late American politician and entrepreneur Malcolm Stevenson Forbes is reputed to have said: “The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.”
Education, formal or informal, teaches us to develop logic, rationale, reasoning, intellect and knowledge about the world we live in. The purpose of education is to be able to live together in a just society.
I was not taken aback after hearing ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula boasting about how he and another MP representing the ANC lied to Parliament to protect their then-leader Jacob Zuma from accounting for his alleged accusations of crime.
Mbalula arrogantly, and without regret, boasted about how the ANC abused its majority to render democratic institutions useless by dishonouring Parliament and the Cabinet.
Our current political landscape has drastically lost its intellectual compass which existed at the end of the 1990s.
The ANC’s post-2007 national conference held at Polokwane institutionalised and in a way systemised corruption in the public sector.
At the time, the ANC resolved to dismantle corruption-busters such as the Scorpions as they believed that it was going to stop their nefarious activities. There were attempts to introduce authoritarian legislation such as the Protection of State Information Bill, and others, which enables corruption in government apparatus.
As we engage in what we term comparative politics in political science, I was compelled to look at the history of the ANC, where I had to assess the quality of all the party’s secretaries-general (SGs) since 1912. I concluded that Mbalula is the worst.
I just cannot compare Mbalula – who is a rabble-rouser – to the dignified and reputable previous ANC SGs such as Sol Plaatjie, Selope Thema, Bud M’beele, Saul Msane, Mweli Skota, EJ Khaile, James Arthur Calata, Elijah Mdolomba, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Duma Nokwe, Alfred Nzo and Kgalema Motlanthe.
I intentionally did not mention Gwede Mantashe and Cyril Ramaphosa because I think that they are birds of the same feather as Mbalula.
I did not mention Plaatjie because he is late. I am looking at his track record as well as his intellectual acumen. There is evidence, to the effect, his classic writings and the work he executed on behalf of his party speak for themselves.
With the technological advancement and availability of knowledge, I thought that the political landscape of every country would up-scale and compete with modern global international politics. Our politics lacks intellectualism.
I think that we should not insult or attack Mbalula for his unfortunate revelations of what the ANC is doing or not doing, I honestly believe that we should critically assess the entire political landscape in the country and suggest ways in which we could rescue our country from savages who masquerade as politicians.
As a journalist, I used to attend some of the political gatherings (municipal council meetings or party conferences), there was a huge disappointment while listening to casual engagements among “comrades” who did not ignite or inspire intellectualism in their discussions. More time was spent on planning which projects should be given to whom and how much should be shared among the “comrades”.
I am a former student activist so I am used to political or ideological discussions whenever “comrades” meet. It could be in classrooms, dormitories, or beer halls. We normally pick any issue and debate it with no intention of winning or losing but learning from one another.
I think that is no longer happening and it is worrisome because it means that our political space is now going to be crowded by the so-called tenderpreneurs who also double as political assassins or izinkabi who go out neutralising their opponents.
I think that the ANC and all political formations should resurrect or initiate political education and development institutes to help develop a new crop of leadership different from howlers and nincompoops like Mbalula and company.
We need a new crop of leadership in South Africa. We are responsible for identifying, grooming and developing that leadership. Not the praise-singers like the current leader of the non-existent ANC Youth League, Collen Malatji.