Zuma innocent, ANC guilty
By Ndaba Nhuku| I stand by President Jacob Zuma not because I support his politics and 
all controversial issues around his government. Those who have followed me for years would be aware I was never supportive of the way Zuma got into power, let alone the quality of the leadership exhibited. I argued back then that the ANC was setting a dangerous precedent by recalling President Mbeki when his term was almost over.
I stated then that future presidents, including Zuma himself will have insecure last terms in office because of this precedent. My argument was that in future anyone who wanted power and felt bypassed would use the precedent to cook up cases against the president of the day and get him out of office. I went on to argue that Zuma had shown leadership deficit around the controversial arms deals, and his use of the ANC Youth League against President Mbeki.
I strongly argued that Zuma shouldn’t be used by white interests that were against President Mbeki’s Pan Africanism and his stance around the Zimbabwean political issue. I still stand by my arguments. Even when Zuma got into power, I found it hard to support him. Like President Mugabe, he knows how to play factions and individuals against each other to the detriment of national progress. Zuma and SADC failed to deal with the immigration and xenophobia issues. Thanks to Zuma, most Zimbabwean refugees are in South Africa despite not having their immigration status stabilised. Most skilled Zimbos live insecurely and unemployed in a country that is in dire need of skilled manpower because of a chaotic immigration policy.
So why defend President Zuma today?
Today I stand by Zuma because of the underhand western interests attempting to drive him out of office simply because he has touched their defenders and their interests. Why did all of a sudden South Africa have to be punished because Zuma has fired a minister he could no longer comfortably work with? Is it new for a president to fire a minister he feels he is no longer comfortable to serve the nation alongside or for one reason or another? Zuma is not in trouble because of corruption or failure to govern. He is being punished; with demonstrations incited by white folks whose interests have been wounded. If that were not the case, why did these demonstrations not occur when black South Africans were massacred at that Marikana incident? Do black lives labouring in mines account for nothing as compared to the firing of a minister, thus initiating a constitutional crisis? Citing Inkandla as part of corruption is naïve and not an excuse worth considering today. Did anyone fight for those Marikana miners’ rights? Have I seen anyone fight for the rights of black employees abused in white owned farms? Have we seen any of these corporates making major profits building even mere toilets for their poor employees living in unhygienic conditions in shanty towns? Why did the same powers not demonstrate against Zuma when xenophobia took place in South Africa?
Why was South Africa’s credit ratings not affected during those violent and uncertain times? Is it because black lives don’t matter when compared to protecting white interests? And these are the same people who are to be used against Zuma so as to install a puppet who will abide by white corporate interests? Why has no one asked where VP Cyril Ramaphosa got his billions? And why has he suddenly been forced to eat his cake? Why couldn’t he be principled enough to resign from a government whose leader he can’t support anymore? Just because he represents white interests he will not disappoint them by abandoning the presidency where he is needed to influence government policy for protecting them. Why has no one asked who is financing EFF? Did a group of marauding former ANC youths suddenly become millionaires to run a well funded party?
The Gupta Family is nothing amiss in politics. Worldwide, party leaders’ sponsors and donors don’t part with their money for no reason. Look at the current US White House. Most of its members are themselves business people who donated or are people linked mainly to huge donors of the Republican party or have some business dealings with the Trump family. The US president’s children are literally running the show! Successive UK governments always have had an issue with major donors who go on to hide their wealth in safe havens as they dodge paying taxes. The Gupta family matter is not a Zuma issue only. We only talk about it because Zuma is fighting against a white dominated and owned media.
Zuma’s case is similar to the President Robert Mugabe issue. When Gukurahundi occurred, the western society was busy honouring Mugabe with all awards and even went as far as bribing him with a knighthood. Zimbabwe had violent elections in the 80s and the west never raised noise or encouraged demonstrations against him. Poor Zimbabweans continued living in their poverty and the world was happy as long as Mugabe protected their interests, and they continued looting Zimbabwe’s resources to develop the west. The moment Mugabe touched the land issue with a stunning vengeance over the naïve white community’s support of the then recently formed opposition party, the MDC, he was turned into an international monster. Where is Sir Robert Mugabe today? From being an idolised Knight who was an exemplary forgiving leader, he was turned into something no one was expected to be seen with. Suddenly Zimbabwe saw demonstrations against Mugabe. Suddenly sanctions were enforced against Mugabe and his gang. Black lives don’t matter. Corruption doesn’t matter. Human rights don’t matter. Woe unto you if you dare touch western interests in your country.
So what is the way forward?
It is high time the so-called African liberal politicians and commentators stopped being used. It is time African leaders attended to the needs of their people. Corruption should be fought strongly. Its time we put strong accountability systems in place. This is the time for us to have leaders able to engage and negotiate in the contemporary global socio-economic arena. It’s time Africa united and got the respect it deserves. Its time opposition parties ceased working for western interests to get donor funding, thus allowing themselves to be blackmailed once in power. Ubuntu must prevail against political and economic thuggery.
Broadly I do see your argument and wholeheartedly agree with it. But I differ with you when you say “…..Zuma is not in trouble because of corruption or a failure to govern….”. He is certainly in trouble with his Black Constituencies, because of Corruption and a failure to govern. This might not be the case with Whites, who are always quick to take advantage of such situations. So, forget about the white Constituency, which is the central theme or thrust of your argument. Zuma has failed Blacks and there is no debate about that.
Cyril Ramaphosa did nothing wrong (..and I do not understand why his wealth is now an issue in all this) in expressing his “unhappiness”, with the way Zuma carried out the reshuffling of his Cabinet; and his is correct because there is a standing Polokwane ANC Congress Resolution, (where Mbeki was defeated by Zuma for the party Presidency position); to the effect that the State President, who is deployed by the ANC in government should consult with the party’s top leadership and the party’s Alliance Partners both the SACP and COSATU, before deciding on his Cabinet.
Simply informing, which is what Zuma did this time around is not the same as consulting. Zuma approached his ANC Colleagues with an already made up list, for which he sought their endorsement. Mbeki was removed from the Presidency for these same dictatorial tendencies; hence the Polokwane Congress Resolution. So in your argument, by conflating and confusing the evil white monopoly capital interests and their racist and colonialist intentions in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, with the legitimate concerns of Black people and their Opposition Political parties, regarding their own black leaders, you are actually aiding and abating the exploitation of us Africans by our own Black leaders. We have to grow up and mature intellectually, and learn to tell the wood from the trees; so that we all do not fall into the very same trap that you appear to have fallen into – a situation that is being taken advantage of and exploited by these corrupt African leaders, of the likes of Museveni, Mugabe and Msholozi. They steal from their people; mess up the economy and then turn around and manufacture Western conspiracies and blame whites. And like vultures after a carcass we all fall into line.
Yes, indeed I have a very big bone to chew with all these Whites who are a part of these anti-Zuma campaigns. They never appear in anything that has to do with overall national interests; except where their own capitalistic narrow interests are at stake. Election rallies are held; no whites attend. When asked why, they claim it is not in their culture to attend big outside rallies, yet whites in Europe and the US attend public rallies in numbers – so what culture are they talking about, seeing that they are all ancestrally linked to Western whites? When there are workers’ issues – they never join in, because most employers are white; so they should not be seen to be fighting against their own – so they believe.
Even the opposition DA itself stages public marches and demonstrations; the people who are always in the forefront to face the sticks and stones in these skirmishes are the poor Blacks. But check the Western Cape Provincial Government that they lead through Hellen Zille – the majority of its Ministers are white – the very same white faces you will never see in the streets demonstrating. Blacks are always there to toil for them; whilst they the Whites are always there to EAT the cake, i.e. the fruits of the toiling Blacks. It is always when the time to EAT comes when they start talking about skills and experience, so they can conveniently exclude blacks – but that argument never arises when it is time to fight in the streets.
On the Gupta family issue, you are broadly correct – but the fact that it happens elsewhere does not make it right. It is wrong for uBabu Msholozi to use the Guptas to only benefit himself and his family. Zuma should have taken advantage of the business skills of his Indian friends, including the Guptas to benefit a broad section of the Black population, right across all nine provinces. I do agree – as citizens, there is nothing wrong with the Guptas benefiting from State contracts – but there should be a trickle-down effect across the board to benefit the black population.
Whites, Afrikanners in particular are what they are today because of the past affirmative action policies of the Apartheid regime since 1948, but today they are against these policies because they now seek to uplift Africans. The Oppenheimers and many other white business empires in South Africa and in most parts of the world today did not build billion dollar empires through totally innocent transactions, with totally no government involvement whatsoever. I totally disagree and will never buy that one. This is the Conundrum most of us Black people find ourselves in.
At a personal level, as you might have already noted, I have a very serious problem with the way Msholozi does things, but I will never join a march that seeks to topple the ANC from power under the guise of fighting to remove one man, uMsholozi from power. This is what is happening with some of these DA, Civil Society organised marches today. They are trying to achieve what they have in the last 23 years failed to achieve through the ballot box, and Msholozi has become their very convenient excuse. The ANC is therefore correct in always directing its MPs in Parliament to defeat any motions of no confidence against its President.
Look at this loud mouth Sipho Pityana with his so-called “Save South Africa” campaign nonsense; he is an ANC member, but is always shouting loud from the comfort of his Anglo-Gold Chairmanship seat – but he has never explained to the nation how he found himself in that seat. When he was Director General in Foreign Affairs (Permanent Secretary) during the the Xhosa Nostra era under Mbeki and his controversial AIDS and pro-Mugabe policies; not even one day did he say a word against his Mbeki government. I mean, what is the difference between what Zuma is doing today, with what Mugabe has been doing all along? If there is no difference – why shout at Zuma now when you never shouted against Mugabe then? In fact, him and his then Boss Mbeki, actually aided and abated Mugabe in his corruption and nation-destructive policies. Its all double standards; if you ask me.
As far as I am concerned, let nature take its course. I firmly believe the ANC will self cleanse internally through the next elective Congress in December 2017 and come national elections 2019, they will once again register resounding victories; But they have to move with speed on their Radical Economic Transformation Programme; and it has to be a genuine exercise not meant to benefit just a few like Mugabe’s indigenisation and land invasions policies in Zimbabwe. A few hiccups here and there in the form of credit ratings downgrades and slowing economic growth rates is a cost worth bearing for long term benefits; I believe!!
Broadly I do see your argument and wholeheartedly agree with it. But I differ with you when you say “…..Zuma is not in trouble because of corruption or a failure to govern….”. He is certainly in trouble with his Black Constituencies, because of Corruption and a failure to govern. This might not be the case with Whites, who are always quick to take advantage of such situations. So, forget about the white Constituency, which is the central theme or thrust of your argument. Zuma has failed Blacks and there is no debate about that.
Cyril Ramaphosa did nothing wrong (..and I do not understand why his wealth is now an issue in all this) in expressing his “unhappiness”, with the way Zuma carried out the reshuffling of his Cabinet; and his is correct because there is a standing Polokwane ANC Congress Resolution, (where Mbeki was defeated by Zuma for the party Presidency position); to the effect that the State President, who is deployed by the ANC in government should consult with the party’s top leadership and the party’s Alliance Partners both the SACP and COSATU, before deciding on his Cabinet.
Simply informing, which is what Zuma did this time around is not the same as consulting. Zuma approached his ANC Colleagues with an already made up list, for which he sought their endorsement. Mbeki was removed from the Presidency for these same dictatorial tendencies; hence the Polokwane Congress Resolution. So in your argument, by conflating and confusing the evil white monopoly capital interests and their racist and colonialist intentions in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, with the legitimate concerns of Black people and their Opposition Political parties, regarding their own black leaders, you are actually aiding and abating the exploitation of us Africans by our own Black leaders. We have to grow up and mature intellectually, and learn to tell the wood from the trees; so that we all do not fall into the very same trap that you appear to have fallen into – a situation that is being taken advantage of and exploited by these corrupt African leaders, of the likes of Museveni, Mugabe and Msholozi. They steal from their people; mess up the economy and then turn around and manufacture Western conspiracies and blame whites. And like vultures after a carcass we all fall into line.
Yes, indeed I have a very big bone to chew with all these Whites who are a part of these anti-Zuma campaigns. They never appear in anything that has to do with overall national interests; except where their own capitalistic narrow interests are at stake. Election rallies are held; no whites attend. When asked why, they claim it is not in their culture to attend big outside rallies, yet whites in Europe and the US attend public rallies in numbers – so what culture are they talking about, seeing that they are all ancestrally linked to Western whites? When there are workers’ issues – they never join in, because most employers are white; so they should not be seen to be fighting against their own – so they believe.
Even the opposition DA itself stages public marches and demonstrations; the people who are always in the forefront to face the sticks and stones in these skirmishes are the poor Blacks. But check the Western Cape Provincial Government that they lead through Hellen Zille – the majority of its Ministers are white – the very same white faces you will never see in the streets demonstrating. Blacks are always there to toil for them; whilst they the Whites are always there to EAT the cake, i.e. the fruits of the toiling Blacks. It is always when the time to EAT comes when they start talking about skills and experience, so they can conveniently exclude blacks – but that argument never arises when it is time to fight in the streets.
On the Gupta family issue, you are broadly correct – but the fact that it happens elsewhere does not make it right. It is wrong for uBabu Msholozi to use the Guptas to only benefit himself and his family. Zuma should have taken advantage of the business skills of his Indian friends, including the Guptas to benefit a broad section of the Black population, right across all nine provinces. I do agree – as citizens, there is nothing wrong with the Guptas benefiting from State contracts – but there should be a trickle-down effect across the board to benefit the black population.
Whites, Afrikanners in particular are what they are today because of the past affirmative action policies of the Apartheid regime since 1948, but today they are against these policies because they now seek to uplift Africans. The Oppenheimers and many other white business empires in South Africa and in most parts of the world today did not build billion dollar empires through totally innocent transactions, with totally no government involvement whatsoever. I totally disagree and will never buy that one. This is the Conundrum most of us Black people find ourselves in.
At a personal level, as you might have already noted, I have a very serious problem with the way Msholozi does things, but I will never join a march that seeks to topple the ANC from power under the guise of fighting to remove one man, uMsholozi from power. This is what is happening with some of these DA, Civil Society organised marches today. They are trying to achieve what they have in the last 23 years failed to achieve through the ballot box, and Msholozi has become their very convenient excuse. The ANC is therefore correct in always directing its MPs in Parliament to defeat any motions of no confidence against its President.
Look at this loud mouth Sipho Pityana with his so-called “Save South Africa” campaign nonsense; he is an ANC member, but is always shouting loud from the comfort of his Anglo-Gold Chairmanship seat – but he has never explained to the nation how he found himself in that seat. When he was Director General in Foreign Affairs (Permanent Secretary) during the the Xhosa Nostra era under Mbeki and his controversial AIDS and pro-Mugabe policies; not even one day did he say a word against his Mbeki government. I mean, what is the difference between what Zuma is doing today, with what Mugabe has been doing all along? If there is no difference – why shout at Zuma now when you never shouted against Mugabe then? In fact, him and his then Boss Mbeki, actually aided and abated Mugabe in his corruption and nation-destructive policies. Its all double standards; if you ask me.
As far as I am concerned, let nature take its course. I firmly believe the ANC will self cleanse internally through the next elective Congress in December 2017 and come national elections 2019, they will once again register resounding victories; But they have to move with speed on their Radical Economic Transformation Programme; and it has to be a genuine exercise not meant to benefit just a few like Mugabe’s indigenisation and land invasions policies in Zimbabwe. A few hiccups here and there in the form of credit ratings downgrades and slowing economic growth rates is a cost worth bearing for long term benefits; I believe!!
Broadly I do see your argument and wholeheartedly agree with it. But I differ with you when you say “…..Zuma is not in trouble because of corruption or a failure to govern….”. He is certainly in trouble with his Black Constituencies, because of Corruption and a failure to govern. This might not be the case with Whites, who are always quick to take advantage of such situations. So, forget about the white Constituency, which is the central theme or thrust of your argument. Zuma has failed Blacks and there is no debate about that.
Cyril Ramaphosa did nothing wrong (..and I dont understand why his wealth is now an issue in all this) in expressing his “unhappiness”, with the way Zuma carried out the reshuffling of his Cabinet; and his is correct because there is a standing Polokwane ANC Congress Resolution, (where Mbeki was defeated by Zuma for the party Presidency position); to the effect that the State President, who is deployed by the ANC in government should consult with the party’s top leadership and the party’s Alliance Partners both the SACP and COSATU, before deciding on his Cabinet. Consulting is different from informing; which is what Zuma did this time around, because he approached them with an already completed list, for which he sought their endorsement. Mbeki was removed FROM THE Presidency for these same dictatorial tendencies; hence the Congress Resolution.
So by conflating and confusing the evil white monopoly Capital interests and their racist and colonialist intentions in your argument, with the legitimate concerns of Black people and their Opposition Political parties against their own black leaders, in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, you are actually aiding and abating the exploitation of us Africans by our own Black leaders. We have to grow up and mature intellectually, and learn to tell the wood from the trees; so that we all dont fall into the very same trap that you appear to have fallen into; a situation that is being taken advantage of and exploited by these corrupt African leaders, of the likes of Museveni, Mugabe and Msholozi. They steal from their people; mess up the economy and then turn around and manufacture Western conspiracies and blame whites. And like vultures after a carcass we all fall into line.
Yes indeed, I have a very big bone to chew with all these Whites who are a part of these anti-Zuma campaigns. They never appear in anything that has to do with overall national interests; except where their own capitalistic narrow interests are at stake. Election rallies are held; no whites attend. When asked why, they claim its not in their culture to attend big outside rallies, yet whites in Europe and the US attend public rallies in numbers – so what culture are they talking about, seeing that they are all ancestrally linked to Western whites?
When there are workers issues – they never join in, because most employers are white; so they should not be seen to be fighting against their own – so they belive. Even the opposition DA itself stages public marches and demonstrations; the people who are always in the forefront to face the sticks and stones in these skirmishes are the poor Blacks.
But check the Western Cape Provincial Government that they lead through Hellen Zille – the majority of its Ministers are white – the very same white faces you will never see in the streets demonstrating. Blacks are always there to toil for them; whilst they the Whites are always there to EAT the cake, i.e. the fruits of the toiling Blacks. It is always when the time to EAT comes when they start talking about skills and experience, so they can exclude blacks – but that argument never arises when its time for fighting in the streets.
On the Gupta family issue, you are broadly correct – but the fact that it happens elsewhere does not make it right. It is wrong of uBabu Msholozi to use the Guptas to only benefit himself and his family. Zuma should have taken advantage of the business skills of his Indian friends, including the Guptas to benefit a broad section of the Black population right across all nine provinces. I do agree – as citizens, there is nothing wrong with the Guptas benefiting from State contracts – but there should be a trickle down effect across the board to benefit the black population. Whites, Afrikanners in particular are what they are today because of the past affirmative action policies of the Apartheid regime since 1948, but today they are against these policies because they now seek to uplift Africans. The Oppenheimars and many other white business empires in South Africa and in most parts of the world today did not build billion dollar empires through totally innocent transactions, with totally no government involvement whatsoever. I totally disagree and will never buy that one.
This is the Conundrum most of us Black people find ourselves in. On a personal level, as you might have already noted, I have a very serious problem with the way Msholozi does things, but I will never join a march that seeks to topple the ANC from power under the guise of fighting to remove one man, uMsholozi from power. This is what is happening with some of these DA, Civil Society organised marches today. They are trying to achieve what they have in the last 23 years failed to achieve through the ballot box, and Msholozi has become their very convenient excuse. The ANC is therefore correct in always directing its MPs in Parliament to defeat any motions of no confidence against its President.
Look at this loud mouth Sipho Pityana with his so-called “Save South Africa” campaign nonsense; he is an ANC member, but is always shouting loud from the comfort of his Anglo-Gold Chairmanship seat – but he has never explained to the nation how he found himself in that seat. When he was Director General in Foreign Affairs (Permanent Secretary) during the the Xhosa Nostra era under Mbeki and his controversial AIDS and pro-Mugabe policies; not even one day did he say a word against his Mbeki government. I mean, what is the difference between what Zuma is doing today, with what Mugabe has been doing all along? If there is no difference – why shout at Zuma now when you never shouted against Mugabe then? In fact, him and his then Boss Mbeki, actually aided and abated Mugabe in his corruption and nation-destructive policies. Its all double standards; if you ask me.
As far as I am concerned, let nature take its course. I firmly believe the ANC will self cleanse internally through the next elective Congress in December 2017 and come national elections 2019, they will once again register resounding victories; But they have to move with speed on their Radical Economic Transformation Programme; and it has to be a genuine exercise not meant to benefit just a few like Mugabe’s indigenisation and land invasions policies in Zimbabwe. A few hiccups here and there in the form of credit ratings downgrades and slowing economic growth rates is a cost worth bearing for long term benefits; I believe!!
Broadly I do see your argument and wholeheartedly agree with it. But I differ with you when you say “…..Zuma is not in trouble because of corruption or a failure to govern….”. He is certainly in trouble with his Black Constituencies, because of Corruption and a failure to govern. This might not be the case with Whites, who are always quick to take advantage of such situations. So, forget about the white Constituency, which is the central theme or thrust of your argument. Zuma has failed Blacks and there is no debate about that.
Cyril Ramaphosa did nothing wrong (..and I dont understand why his wealth is now an issue in all this) in expressing his “unhappiness”, with the way Zuma carried out the reshuffling of his Cabinet; and his is correct because there is a standing Polokwane ANC Congress Resolution, (where Mbeki was defeated by Zuma for the party Presidency position); to the effect that the State President, who is deployed by the ANC in government should consult with the party’s top leadership and the party’s Alliance Partners both the SACP and COSATU, before deciding on his Cabinet. Consulting is different from informing; which is what Zuma did this time around, because he approached them with an already completed list, for which he sought their endorsement. Mbeki was removed FROM THE Presidency for these same dictatorial tendencies; hence the Congress Resolution.
So by conflating and confusing the evil white monopoly Capital interests and their racist and colonialist intentions in your argument, with the legitimate concerns of Black people and their Opposition Political parties against their own black leaders, in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, you are actually aiding and abating the exploitation of us Africans by our own Black leaders. We have to grow up and mature intellectually, and learn to tell the wood from the trees; so that we all dont fall into the very same trap that you appear to have fallen into; a situation that is being taken advantage of and exploited by these corrupt African leaders, of the likes of Museveni, Mugabe and Msholozi. They steal from their people; mess up the economy and then turn around and manufacture Western conspiracies and blame whites. And like vultures after a carcass we all fall into line.
Yes indeed, I have a very big bone to chew with all these Whites who are a part of these anti-Zuma campaigns. They never appear in anything that has to do with overall national interests; except where their own capitalistic narrow interests are at stake. Election rallies are held; no whites attend. When asked why, they claim its not in their culture to attend big outside rallies, yet whites in Europe and the US attend public rallies in numbers – so what culture are they talking about, seeing that they are all ancestrally linked to Western whites?
When there are workers issues – they never join in, because most employers are white; so they should not be seen to be fighting against their own – so they belive. Even the opposition DA itself stages public marches and demonstrations; the people who are always in the forefront to face the sticks and stones in these skirmishes are the poor Blacks.
But check the Western Cape Provincial Government that they lead through Hellen Zille – the majority of its Ministers are white – the very same white faces you will never see in the streets demonstrating. Blacks are always there to toil for them; whilst they the Whites are always there to EAT the cake, i.e. the fruits of the toiling Blacks. It is always when the time to EAT comes when they start talking about skills and experience, so they can exclude blacks – but that argument never arises when its time for fighting in the streets.
On the Gupta family issue, you are broadly correct – but the fact that it happens elsewhere does not make it right. It is wrong of uBabu Msholozi to use the Guptas to only benefit himself and his family. Zuma should have taken advantage of the business skills of his Indian friends, including the Guptas to benefit a broad section of the Black population right across all nine provinces. I do agree – as citizens, there is nothing wrong with the Guptas benefiting from State contracts – but there should be a trickle down effect across the board to benefit the black population. Whites, Afrikanners in particular are what they are today because of the past affirmative action policies of the Apartheid regime since 1948, but today they are against these policies because they now seek to uplift Africans. The Oppenheimars and many other white business empires in South Africa and in most parts of the world today did not build billion dollar empires through totally innocent transactions, with totally no government involvement whatsoever. I totally disagree and will never buy that one.
This is the Conundrum most of us Black people find ourselves in. On a personal level, as you might have already noted, I have a very serious problem with the way Msholozi does things, but I will never join a march that seeks to topple the ANC from power under the guise of fighting to remove one man, uMsholozi from power. This is what is happening with some of these DA, Civil Society organised marches today. They are trying to achieve what they have in the last 23 years failed to achieve through the ballot box, and Msholozi has become their very convenient excuse. The ANC is therefore correct in always directing its MPs in Parliament to defeat any motions of no confidence against its President.
Look at this loud mouth Sipho Pityana with his so-called “Save South Africa” campaign nonsense; he is an ANC member, but is always shouting loud from the comfort of his Anglo-Gold Chairmanship seat – but he has never explained to the nation how he found himself in that seat. When he was Director General in Foreign Affairs (Permanent Secretary) during the the Xhosa Nostra era under Mbeki and his controversial AIDS and pro-Mugabe policies; not even one day did he say a word against his Mbeki government. I mean, what is the difference between what Zuma is doing today, with what Mugabe has been doing all along? If there is no difference – why shout at Zuma now when you never shouted against Mugabe then? In fact, him and his then Boss Mbeki, actually aided and abated Mugabe in his corruption and nation-destructive policies. Its all double standards; if you ask me.
As far as I am concerned, let nature take its course. I firmly believe the ANC will self cleanse internally through the next elective Congress in December 2017 and come national elections 2019, they will once again register resounding victories; But they have to move with speed on their Radical Economic Transformation Programme; and it has to be a genuine exercise not meant to benefit just a few like Mugabe’s indigenisation and land invasions policies in Zimbabwe. A few hiccups here and there in the form of credit ratings downgrades and slowing economic growth rates is a cost worth bearing for long term benefits; I believe!!
Broadly I do see your argument and wholeheartedly agree with it. But I differ with you when you say “…..Zuma is not in trouble because of corruption or a failure to govern….”. He is certainly in trouble with his Black Constituencies, because of Corruption and a failure to govern. This might not be the case with Whites, who are always quick to take advantage of such situations. So, forget about the white Constituency, which is the central theme or thrust of your argument. Zuma has failed Blacks and there is no debate about that.
Cyril Ramaphosa did nothing wrong (..and I dont understand why his wealth is now an issue in all this) in expressing his “unhappiness”, with the way Zuma carried out the reshuffling of his Cabinet; and his is correct because there is a standing Polokwane ANC Congress Resolution, (where Mbeki was defeated by Zuma for the party Presidency position); to the effect that the State President, who is deployed by the ANC in government should consult with the party’s top leadership and the party’s Alliance Partners both the SACP and COSATU, before deciding on his Cabinet. Consulting is different from informing; which is what Zuma did this time around, because he approached them with an already completed list, for which he sought their endorsement. Mbeki was removed FROM THE Presidency for these same dictatorial tendencies; hence the Congress Resolution.
So by conflating and confusing the evil white monopoly Capital interests and their racist and colonialist intentions in your argument, with the legitimate concerns of Black people and their Opposition Political parties against their own black leaders, in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, you are actually aiding and abating the exploitation of us Africans by our own Black leaders. We have to grow up and mature intellectually, and learn to tell the wood from the trees; so that we all dont fall into the very same trap that you appear to have fallen into; a situation that is being taken advantage of and exploited by these corrupt African leaders, of the likes of Museveni, Mugabe and Msholozi. They steal from their people; mess up the economy and then turn around and manufacture Western conspiracies and blame whites. And like vultures after a carcass we all fall into line.
Yes indeed, I have a very big bone to chew with all these Whites who are a part of these anti-Zuma campaigns. They never appear in anything that has to do with overall national interests; except where their own capitalistic narrow interests are at stake. Election rallies are held; no whites attend. When asked why, they claim its not in their culture to attend big outside rallies, yet whites in Europe and the US attend public rallies in numbers – so what culture are they talking about, seeing that they are all ancestrally linked to Western whites?
When there are workers issues – they never join in, because most employers are white; so they should not be seen to be fighting against their own – so they belive. Even the opposition DA itself stages public marches and demonstrations; the people who are always in the forefront to face the sticks and stones in these skirmishes are the poor Blacks.
But check the Western Cape Provincial Government that they lead through Hellen Zille – the majority of its Ministers are white – the very same white faces you will never see in the streets demonstrating. Blacks are always there to toil for them; whilst they the Whites are always there to EAT the cake, i.e. the fruits of the toiling Blacks. It is always when the time to EAT comes when they start talking about skills and experience, so they can exclude blacks – but that argument never arises when its time for fighting in the streets.
On the Gupta family issue, you are broadly correct – but the fact that it happens elsewhere does not make it right. It is wrong of uBabu Msholozi to use the Guptas to only benefit himself and his family. Zuma should have taken advantage of the business skills of his Indian friends, including the Guptas to benefit a broad section of the Black population right across all nine provinces. I do agree – as citizens, there is nothing wrong with the Guptas benefiting from State contracts – but there should be a trickle down effect across the board to benefit the black population. Whites, Afrikanners in particular are what they are today because of the past affirmative action policies of the Apartheid regime since 1948, but today they are against these policies because they now seek to uplift Africans. The Oppenheimars and many other white business empires in South Africa and in most parts of the world today did not build billion dollar empires through totally innocent transactions, with totally no government involvement whatsoever. I totally disagree and will never buy that one.
This is the Conundrum most of us Black people find ourselves in. On a personal level, as you might have already noted, I have a very serious problem with the way Msholozi does things, but I will never join a march that seeks to topple the ANC from power under the guise of fighting to remove one man, uMsholozi from power. This is what is happening with some of these DA, Civil Society organised marches today. They are trying to achieve what they have in the last 23 years failed to achieve through the ballot box, and Msholozi has become their very convenient excuse. The ANC is therefore correct in always directing its MPs in Parliament to defeat any motions of no confidence against its President.
Look at this loud mouth Sipho Pityana with his so-called “Save South Africa” campaign nonsense; he is an ANC member, but is always shouting loud from the comfort of his Anglo-Gold Chairmanship seat – but he has never explained to the nation how he found himself in that seat. When he was Director General in Foreign Affairs (Permanent Secretary) during the the Xhosa Nostra era under Mbeki and his controversial AIDS and pro-Mugabe policies; not even one day did he say a word against his Mbeki government. I mean, what is the difference between what Zuma is doing today, with what Mugabe has been doing all along? If there is no difference – why shout at Zuma now when you never shouted against Mugabe then? In fact, him and his then Boss Mbeki, actually aided and abated Mugabe in his corruption and nation-destructive policies. Its all double standards; if you ask me.
As far as I am concerned, let nature take its course. I firmly believe the ANC will self cleanse internally through the next elective Congress in December 2017 and come national elections 2019, they will once again register resounding victories; But they have to move with speed on their Radical Economic Transformation Programme; and it has to be a genuine exercise not meant to benefit just a few like Mugabe’s indigenisation and land invasions policies in Zimbabwe. A few hiccups here and there in the form of credit ratings downgrades and slowing economic growth rates is a cost worth bearing for long term benefits; I believe!!