THE shortcomings of the media have been much commented upon by President Nelson Mandela this year, most memorably when he criticised our fraternity for failing to solve the country’s political crimes.
Last weekend he further compounded our sense of collective inadequacy by denouncing the press for failing to use “scientific analysis” – a shortcoming which led us (in his opinion) to the false conclusion that the African National Congress is an “authoritarian” organisation.
At risk of being accused of peeking at matric answer papers, we would hazard that by “scientific analysis” Mandela is referring to the scientific method – involving observation, measurement and experimentation, and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses. If so, we would petition for a re-mark, because our hypothesis seems fairly well substantiated by the ANC’s record in office.
The authoritarian streak in the ANC was first observed in the abrupt firing of Pallo Jordan as minister of posts and telecommunications, in March this year. We noted at the time that this followed various disagreements between Jordan and the president over issues including government interference in the broadcasting services, a proposed dilution of civil rights to fight crime and an attempt to foist favoured candidates for the National Executive Committee (NEC) on the ANC congress.
On the basis of that evidence we constructed the “authoritarian” hypothesis. Jordan was, of course, reappointed to the Cabinet, tempting us to modify the hypothesis. But, measured against the subsequent actions of the Mandela administration — the moves to “crush” Bantu Holomisa and the replacement of Terror Lekota in the Free State by the NEC without regard for democratic niceties – the hypothesis seems to stand.
True to the rigorous demands of the scientific method, we are of course prepared to modify our hypothesis in the light of further evidence; if, for example, Lekota is returned to the post for which he seems to have been well-suited and the ANC abandons what smacks of a petty persecution of Holomisa. But, at the same time, we must object to the white coats of scientific certainty in which Mandela would dress us.
While there is much to be respected about the scientific community, we cannot help but sympathise with the wise-crack made by another president, John F Kennedy, that life is extinct on other planets because their scientists are in advance of ours. And, after all, it was Albert Einstein who once made the observation that the whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking. In other words, common sense, Mr President. It is the only value on which we would be judged.