Party is a laugh a minute in tough times
OF LATE, my weekly dose of humour comes largely from the governing party spokesman or woman.
Sometimes even the government spokesman from the SABC, defending his matric-less boss, gives me the giggles.
The ANC wants to reinvent itself before disaffected voters let it down at the polls next year. A lot of resolutions were passed at the recent ANC national general council meeting.
Some marvellous resolutions were passed and some not so marvellous. I paraphrase from what I read juxtaposing the following:
The party, led by President Jacob Zuma, is serious about rooting out corruption, but doesn’t investigate or ask what the president’s relationship is with the Gupta family.
This relationship is like a holy cow. Conduct lifestyle audits on all ANC members. However, leave the president and his extended family out of it. The party is serious about human rights.
Yet the government is to resign from the International Criminal Court so that “noble” ANC friend – Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir – can visit the country without fear of arrest. Never mind that he is considered a mass murderer by the international community.
On the contrary, refuse a visa to a Nobel laureate the Dalai Lama. A man of peace is not welcome here, but a mass murderer is.
The ANC believes in a free press – but establish a new press council so it can whip into line newspapers that are critical of the government and the ANC.
Register all journalists; fine them and put them in jail too should they write anything critical about the government. Who said the ANC didn’t learn anything from the previous National Party government?
So here we are, a few months from local government elections, and a very confused and comical party wants to improve its showing.
To all the stand-up comedians, including Trevor Noah, there’s a lot of new material coming your way.
For a country going through gloom and rising unemployment, laughter is the best medicine – and who do we have to thank? The ANC spokesmen, of course. PAKS PAKIRIY Durban North