Sorry, but the EFF’s Malema is no Mussolini in the making

IMRAAN Buccus makes extraordinarily inaccurate and ignorant historical and political claims in his diatribe against Julius Malema and the Economic Freedom Fighters, “The EFF and the spectre of fascism” (November 3).

Nationalisation was never a major part of the Nazi agenda or of the Italian fascists, or indeed of any of the fascists and proto-fascists whom Buccus cites. Indeed, his argument serves to prove that Clement Attlee and Leon Blum were fascists.

The primary characteristic of fascism is its hostility to organised labour. Curiously enough, the EFF is extremely friendly to organised labour. Fascism gets on very well with big business; the EFF is hostile to it. Fascism is racist; Malema and his allies are instead committed to class analysis. Fascism is violent. It is true that the EFF has been involved in violence in one way or another — for instance, when Malema’s supporters were attacked by “war veterans” at an ANC rally or when an EFF rally was broken up by [public sector workers union] Nehawu hooligans. But none of this illustrates that the EFF is fascistic.

Buccus claims that Malema is hostile to democracy. Here he may have a point. After all, Malema has spoken out in favour of the elected government of Zimbabwe and called for a change of government in Botswana, where the government has been in power since 1968. Of course, if Malema is hostile to democracy, what does that make our beloved ANC, not to mention the South African Communist Party, which have all been merrily rigging internal elections for half a decade and which love to tell us that they will rule until Jesus returns, regardless of what the public wants? Malema looks positively saintly next to Gwede Mantashe, the ANC secretary-general.

Buccus is right to say that the left should come up with alternatives to the present economic crisis. In fact, it has: the EFF wants to redistribute land and nationalise the mining and banking industries. These are impeccably left-wing demands, responding to socioeconomic needs. Of course, there is a lot more that needs to be done. Indeed, there needs to be the beginnings of a debate about how to solve the present economic crisis. Unfortunately, the present-day pseudoleft is too beholden to big business, or too obsessed with personal power and image, or too cowardly to participate in such a debate. — Mathew Blatchford, University of Fort Hare

Coming clean on ‘dirty voters’

UNLESS corrected and erased, the “dirty voter” identity will perpetually demonise Nomvula Mokonyane as a foul-mouthed first accounting officer of the government of Gauteng, “Promoted out of contention” (Hogarth, November 3).

As could be expected, the Bekkersdal community is outraged and the political opposition is milking the opportunity to complicate tensions, perhaps ahead of the national elections in 2014. The media are also in a feeding frenzy.

It is for this reason that it is imperative to heal the political abscess as one that was present and in close proximity to premier Mokonyane and the media when “dirty votes” sprung out.

Mokonyane went to Bekkersdal to assess and gain insight into the extent and impact of the protest. After a long walk and a series of impromptu meetings with residents along the way, a large group followed her entourage and eventually gathered at a street corner to talk.

It was evident that people had become divided by a foul-mouthed group that was hellbent on disrupting the assessment of the situation. In the melee, an abusive and obviously intoxicated group hurled unprintable insults at Mokonyane and shouted that the ANC would not get their votes if the mayor and her councillors were not fired immediately.

In response, Mokonyane said: “We live in an ANC-led democratic state that embraces all constitutional and administrative legislation that governs the election and appointment of officials and political leadership. In recognising freedom of speech, every voter has a choice to make and may therefore not blackmail the ANC into acting unconstitutionally by removing leaders under threat of losing votes or damaging property. If it were such, then voters that play dirty political games might as well keep their dirty votes because the ANC, as an organisation and as the government, will never be dragged into undemocratic and unconstitutional processes of replacing leaders or any official, for that matter. People must be elected to lead if they are to serve in the government and in communities.”

The truth is that no South Africans should consider themselves “dirty voters” when voting time comes.— Thebe Mohatle, spokesman for the premier of Gauteng

Enemy of the anti-democrats

I AM saddened by the departure of former editor Mondli Makhanya from the Sunday Times. You were a thorn to those who had anti-democratic impulses. The likes of Jimmy Manyi, Christine Qunta, the Cantekerous Chief, No 1 and all manner of anti-democrats will be happy to see your back.

To me, you were the best and I wish you the best in other adventures. No Glenfiddich, but bon voyage. — Thabiso Maredi, Nelspruit

ý We are proud to announce that Barney Mthombothi will occupy Mondli Makhanya’s space from January — The Editor

When Adams College died

PRAISE is due to the Sunday Times for its report on Adams College, “A school in a class of its own” (November 3). However, the school was not founded by Dr Newton Adams in 1853. Adams died two years earlier on December 16 1851. One can see his gravestone near the school. The Rev David Rood founded the Amanzimtoti Institute, as Adams College was originally known, in 1853 and served as its first principal and only teacher.

In 1956, the apartheid government closed Adams College, expropriating it in terms of the 1953 Bantu Education Act. Virtually the only concession the school obtained from its expropriation was that the government was legally prohibited from continuing to use the name Adams College because it would no longer be an independent Christian school. Thus Adams College died in 1956. In 1957, the Amanzimtoti Zulu Training College opened under the Bantu Education Department.

In light of the above, it is arguable that Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma did not attend Adams College from 1966 to1968. She attended a public school under the auspices of Bantu education and thus it was that school, not Adams College, that gave Dlamini-Zuma “the opportunity to become a doctor”.— Rev Scott Everett Couper, Inanda Seminary, Red Hill

TV sport should be open to all

SPORT is a major contributor to nationbuilding. When South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, the whole country stood as one and cheered when Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar held up the trophy. This is no longer the case when it comes to the majority of the underprivileged wanting to watch South Africa competing in international sports such as soccer, rugby, cricket and swimming on television.

MultiChoice, which most South Africans cannot afford, has a monopoly on presenting these games. The government and the SABC need to resolve this issue and ensure that the disadvantaged are able to watch teams representing South Africa in various sports. — Vijay Sewtahal, Durban

Following their leader

POLICE Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s answers to Chris Barron, “So many questions” (November 3), illustrated his arrogance and high-handedness towards the public. If this is his attitude, it is no wonder the police are in the same frame of mind.— A Mills, Broederstroom

ANC faces voter backlash

MANY black people, particularly the intelligentsia, will be voting for the Democratic Alliance, EFF and Agang. This will not be out of hatred for the ANC, but out of genuine love for the country and in order to temporarily diminish the political influence of the ruling party and bring its leaders to their senses, or make them more responsive to the socioeconomic needs of communities. — Sipho, Johannesburg

Appeal of radical ideologies

SOUTH Africa has become a fertile ground for radical ideologies such as that of the EFF, which hides behind the facade of caring for the poor.

The morality and track record of its leader, Malema, and others should be enough to make it clear that we face only a bunch of dissatisfied, corrupt individuals who were kicked off the fodder trough of the ruling party because they had become a liability.

The high number of uneducated and illinformed are fertile ground for neofascism of this kind.

As a country, we must learn from our past, but we cannot keep making the same mistakes by denying our present flaws. Thank you for waking us up.— Erwin Schwentzek, by e-mail