Move over Jacob Zuma, Mosiuoa Lekota and any others with their eyes focused on South Africa’s top job. We want Graca Machel for president!
As Machel stormed the Aids conference in Barcelona last week and lambasted world leaders for doing too little to confront the pandemic, nearly everyone in the hall was swept off their feet.
So, too, were television viewers in South Africa — black and white — as they watched clips of Machel slamming Southern African nations that had worked together to overcome apartheid but now that they were confronted by Aids were working alone.
Then she tore into national leaders for their absence from the conference. Those watching Machel knew that, in her, they had found a genuine people’s hero.
An excited white caller told me the following day: “Now I know why [Nelson] Mandela chose her over Winnie [Madikizela-Mandela]!”
After years of listening to the ruling African National Congress’s befuddled statements on the existence of Aids and, as it alleged, the inefficacy of anti-retrovirals, I was almost reduced to tears as I watched Machel’s heart-felt rebuke: “How many times will we come to these conferences and watch people make promises that they go home and forget about?
“My point is that, when HIV and Aids attack, nothing is left as it was before — for individuals, families, communities and nations. Yet our response has been appallingly weak.
“Unlike the virus, we have not been aggressive enough. Unlike the virus, we have not been integrated and comprehensive in our strategies. Unlike the virus, we have not been unrelenting in our commitment.”
Most South African and continental leaders were much too busy with the African Union in Durban. Our Minister of Health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, found it possible to leave the conference discussing the most serious crisis ever to confront South Africa after the first day.
Machel, however, made an altogether different impression. Appropriately, as The Star reported, a journalist from the Agence France Presse asked: “Why isn’t she the president?”
Madiba, if you are listening, use your influence to begin the process. Start by making her an ex-officio member of the ANC. The rank and file of the ANC, I assure you, will take care of the rest.
And if the fact that she is not a South African is raised then look to India. The world’s largest democracy has accepted an Italian woman as the leader of one its main parties. Why can?t we? Besides, she is an African all right.