SA can learn from Zuma’s failings

IN SPITE of the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing our country, I am sometimes filled with great hope that it is still to reach its desired state.

The most ironic aspect of this bright possibility is that the very lack of vision and leadership of the present ANC regime produces this hope.

It is the dismal state of the ANC’s leadership under Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma that has allowed our people to see that we are not safe when we are in the hands of a leader like the current one.

While other countries have security concerns which range from foreign spies, military invasions and terrorism, South Africa’s most serious security concern is our president and the company he keeps.

What makes it worse is that he still feels he has a right to associate with the likes of the Shaiks and the Guptas, among others.

These are families whose business strategy seems to involve association with senior politicians to gain government business and favour.

The country sees this and knows this. We also see that the ANC uses blatant lies when it promises heaven and earth at election time only to dish out absolute abandonment afterwards while those elected and employed in government get to benefit.

It is this reality that is opening the eyes of our people. We can no longer hope the ANC of the liberation struggle is the same as the ANC of incumbency, with its dirty politics, BEE deals, secret funding, and an unaccountable electoral system of proportional representation.

It is the absolute lack of will on the part of those leading the ANC to rein in those who are accused of corruption – simply because they offer some shortterm benefit to the party, whether it be funding or the ability to pull votes – that is disgusting more and more of us ordinary people each day.

And in the confusion of things said but not done, we realise that we no longer know where we are.

Instead of leaders, we have oohlohlesakhe (those who stuff their own tummies).

Under the animated yet unbelievably poor leadership of Zuma, we are realising what had been hidden before. These people who call themselves our leaders, and who are in fact our servants, need to held accountable – fearlessly. If it had not been for Zuma, we would not know that a man could face serious and unresolved corruption charges relating to a sensitive security sector area and involving arms, yet still manage to ascend to the Presidency.

If it had not been for him, we would not know that our national security system is so lacklustre that a wedding party could simply waltz into the country and into a national key point, a military base, without the . . . er . . . knowledge of the relevant ministers.

If it had not been for Zuma and his ANC, we would not know that it was possible for people to vote for a party which insists on a terribly flawed leader simply because he has an ability to mesmerise the people.

We now know these things, and we are aware of the danger we are facing. I am sure that now our people will not wait for the coming of . . . er . . . Jesus Christ before they boot out this horde of remorseless politicians.

Bantu Mniki is from Dutywa