Tit for tat politics
There is a disgruntled group within the ANC seeking to form its own party in protest against the collective and democratic decision of the national executive committee (NEC) to recall Thabo Mbeki. It has been reported that the basis for the split is that Mbeki’s recall was without due process.
Yet Mbeki relieved Jacob Zuma of his duties as deputy president of the republic without tabling the issue at an NEC meeting. None of these aggrieved individuals argued unfairness or lack of due process. The president’s unilateral decision was glorified as his prerogative, but when a constitutional structure of the ANC exercises its prerogative they howl in public, with threats to form a splinter group.
We can only wish them luck and hope this new party will not reach its sell-by date soon, becoming prone to factions fighting over personalities. Only disciplined cadres committed to serve the organisation and the people of this country will remain in our movement and weak elements unfit to hold public office will go.
No breakaway has ever lasted for long without being fraught with fissure or petty squabbles of factionalism. The people of South Africa should invest their trust in the ANC and its alliance partners, whose strategic goal is to intensify the national democratic revolution to attain the basic tenets of the Freedom Charter. A vote for the ANC in the 2009 general elections will be a vote for the goals of this revolution. — Morgan Phaahla, Ekurhuleni
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Lateral-thinking time. If he is not to retire into the obscurity he so richly deserves, Mbeki needs to consider carefully the future of South Africa and the future of the ANC. They are not the same. Mbeki has studied enough history to realise that governing parties always fall under the weight of their own corruption. He would also know that much of post-colonial Africa’s current position is due to the prevalence of dominant parties.
What about withdrawing from the ANC and starting a new party? Call it ”the Real ANC” for now. This would almost certainly guarantee the JZ mob will not obtain a majority in the 2009 elections and will therefore be unable to govern without a coalition. I think the JZ mob has less support than their noise machines suppose.
The Real ANC would certainly sweep the Eastern Cape, collect enough votes in the Western Cape, the Northern Cape and Gauteng to be able to govern in coalition and collect enough votes in North West and Limpopo to deny JZ a majority.
The voters are not as stupid as the JZ mob wants to believe. They are fully aware that JZ is abusing the Constitution: if you were ever charged, do you think that you could use the ”Zuma defence”? ”I wasn’t consulted.” Since when does any prosecutorial authority need to consult you before formulating charges? Or negotiate a trial date with you? This is a perversion of the law.
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The NEC decision was taken on the basis of the Nicholson judgement, which, in turn, was based on no evidence — no memos, no telephone recordings, nothing. — Peter Darley
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Recipe for a rogue democracy
Eighty mainly unelected individuals met in Kempton Park and decided to remove the country’s then president Thabo Mbeki from office. Just more than 24 hours later Mbeki informed the nation that he had obliged. A further few days later Parliament rubber-stamped the decision and elected a new President, Kgalema Motlanthe. By the end of the week South Africa had a new president and executive. What role did the voters play in this change of government? Zero! And we boast that we have one of the best democracies in the world!
Is this how our democracy was supposed to be? Is it right that we are mere spectators to the most important decision since 1994? Whichever way you look at it, it points to serious flaws in our electoral system. We never had an opportunity to find out exactly why Mbeki was removed.
Gwede Mantashe said Mbeki was removed because the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) decided to exercise its right as a litigant to appeal against Judge Chris Nicholson’s far-reaching judgement.
The following day Mathews Phosa claimed it was ”political management to help the party move forward”. What? The party? So a party with just more than 600 000 members decides, in its own interest, to remove the president of 44-million people?
Or did I hear Mantashe correctly when he said this was to punish Mbeki for not stopping the NPA from appealing?
One thing is clear: we can no longer afford a political scene where one party has a two-thirds majority. It is a potent recipe for a rogue democracy, which is what we have been for some years now. If things carry on like this, there will be no democracy left. — Siphiwo Zibi, Melrose Estate
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I will walk
As an animal rights and human rights activist, I am fully aware of my country’s difficulties with crime; in fact, probably more aware than most.
But, recently I have started really listening and unfortunately hearing how many people have barricaded themselves into a world of fear, aggression and hatred.
From a loving husband who is worried about his wife’s safety from their home to her work very close by, to a neighbour who will not leave the neighbourhood unless with a party of people, to people who don’t go into the centre of their towns any more, to …
I am perhaps lucky enough to stay in an area that is most probably not safer than any other, yet feels that way, so perhaps I am not asking as much from myself as I am asking from others, but as of today and especially on December 31, I personally have decided that
I will walk.
Every night from 6pm to 6.15pm I will be on a chair in front of my house, in front of my gates, saying hello to those who still have the courage to walk, starting tonight, September 28, to attempt to say – no more fear, no more walls, no more.
I will walk.
On December 31, going into a new year, a fresh start, an everything
I will walk.
I am not for the death penalty, I am not for guns, I am not for killing …
I will just walk.
I don’t give a shit if you join me or not, if you whinge about the naive chick from Cape Town or you think I’m a tit. Guess what?
I will walk.
You either join me or you don’t; I don’t care, but
I will walk.
My streets, my life, my country, my world.
I will walk.
— Lejane Hardy, Cape Town
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Blue Waters sensationalism
Your article on the Blue Waters safety site in Cape Town (September 26) was unduly sensational.
I find the use of the words ”like a concentration camp” to describe Blue Waters gratuitous at best and offensive at worst.
The provincial government and the city have been providing extensive humanitarian assistance to people in the safety sites. This includes shelter, two meals a day, blankets, nappies and formula for infants, adequate sanitation and water supply, ablution facilities, monitoring of health conditions and referral to health facilities, and reintegration and repatriation support. Residents of the sites are there because they sought shelter and safety and they are free to come and go.
Does this sound like a concentration camp?
The article accuses government of providing the ”minimum of facilities” as a strategy to ”force refugees out of the camps”. The ”minimum” that government provides is outlined in the Western Cape’s Guidelines for Emergencies, which is based upon (and in some cases exceeds) United Nations standards. This is the same standard of emergency assistance that is provided to anyone affected by a disaster in the Western Cape.
We have had to contend with logistical challenges, for example when we were also faced with flooding in Cape Town in July and September. There may well have been cases where infant formula was not provided on certain days. But these issues were dealt with as soon as they were raised.
Many people have worked tirelessly to help those affected by this disaster.
The Mail & Guardian‘s venture into sensationalism has done them a great disservice. — Dr Hildegarde Fast, head: Provincial Disaster Management Centre
M&G responds: The site coordinator at Blue Waters has said that given the poor conditions at the site she feels she is being asked to run a ”concentration camp”. The M&G has corrected two inaccuracies but stands by the story.
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Messcot
Zakumi, the 2010 mascot, has a vague resemblance to the African Cat associated with royalty — but he could be a giraffe, or a lion with measles. Only a two-year-old will be mildly interested in it, for about two minutes. — Unhappy Freedom Chatterer
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It looks as if an inept person went to a seedy Chinese shop and bought a few cheap stuffed animals, which were then hastily stitched together for the launch. Danny Jordaan had the gall to try to sell it as a leopard to the media, but it is an embarrassing, spotted, alien mongrel with an inane facial expression. —Willem van den Berg, Pretoria
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Meat misery
The life of misery suffered by millions of animals incarcerated in factory farms ends in a terror-filled, bloody abattoir after a journey of hell — unwatered and unfed, in searing heat and freezing cold, for up to several days — from concentration camp to charnel house. And those are the lucky ones — others die in agony at the hands of backyard butchers or are tortured to death in tribal rituals. The promotion of a mindless flesh-fest on Heritage Day (”National Braai Day”) is a symptom of, not a treatment for, the illness of our violence-racked society. — Warwick Fullard, Bellevue East
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Gangster state
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to South Africa, Gangster State, where we may shortly commence economic meltdown. South Africa is the world’s newest democracy, dictated to by a vindictive Stalinist politburo that masquerades as a once-famous liberation movement. Many of its members are convicted criminals; their crimes range from kidnapping to fraud and they tell everyone in government, from Parliament to the president, what to do. We do hope that you enjoy your stay. We will make very little attempt to protect you from being mugged, robbed, raped, hijacked or even murdered. Good luck! — Peter Slingsby, Lakeside
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In brief
Judge Chris Nicholson was surprised by the consequences of his judgement, according to Ronald Suresh Roberts (September 26). But what was he thinking? It’s not enough to read up on Thucydides or study the laws of Trinidad. He needed a grasp of the situation in his own backyard. — Lorna Boshoff, Sunningdale
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I am not suggesting Sipho Seepe should be Thabo Mbeki’s praise singer (September 26), but he uses every platform to rubbish Mbeki. He has never provided us with fair and balanced commentary on Mbeki. I don’t think I will ever take him seriously. — Moeng Mathunda, Galeshewe
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Zapiro has added a sinister cast to his depiction of Jacob Zuma by showing very prominently his bottom row of teeth. The showerhead just makes him look ridiculous. But Zapiro is safe now: Zuma and his admirers may object to the showerhead, but there is no way they can suggest he does not have a bottom row of teeth. — Bruce MacDonald, Rondebosch
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Tom Eaton reports on a ”smooth transition of beards” (September 26), but the pictures of the new president’s swearing-in show that Kgalema Motlanthe has shaved it off. What does this mean? I think we should be told. — Miles Seaward