Votes will be based on history
You will never be removed from a position as long as you have support
MANDLA RADEBE writes:
One can’t help but feel sorry for some of the ANC’s national and provincial leaders and MPs in the National Assembly.
How do you feel raising your hand, exonerating the President, knowing he has seriously violated the Constitution and should be impeached? Conscience must be killing you.
Do you do it because you want the party to stay united, do you convince yourself that this is a right thing to do, or do you tell yourself the public must suck it up, it will be over soon?
No surprises about what happened on the night of the unsuccessful impeachment, judging from the President’s “apology” address which was followed hot on the heels by the ANC’s Secretary General’s (SG) press briefing and the National Working Committee’s extended meeting.
The fact is, since President Zuma’s term, the ruling party members have had to learn fast to believe and confess their party’s own propaganda. It is almost like drinking a debilitating poison knowing that though it does not kill fast, you can grin, bear the pain and move on in health deterioration.
Then there was an invitation to approach the office of the SG, should you have issues to iron out and branches and provinces to sit and discuss. All provinces’ reactions were forgone conclusions, judging from the goings-on in the Mangaung conference until now.
Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) came back with what was expected, depending on who you are. The problem of provinces like Gauteng, whose PEC broke the ranks, is partly that they are full of what the President called “clever blacks”.
There were also no surprises on the reaction of the Youth, Women’s and Military Veterans Leagues. Frankly, you can judge for yourself about their current relevance in the society. Blasting the PEC was the only way for them to salvage some relevance.
Then there was the Port Elizabeth launch of the election manifesto, followed by the funeral of volunteers (my condolences to the families). Again, unity, hugs and handshakes were the order of the day. We were to believe that everything is good, and “clever blacks” behaved.
My point is that voters of the ANC don’t demand an accountable party, and they won’t vote another party, as long as they can block the road and burn infrastructure when the party doesn’t deliver.
Another point is that, in Africa, you will never be removed from a position as long as you have support, irrespective of the seriousness of your offence, party comes first. Sorry, Thabo Mbeki!
The last point is an unwritten rule that a politician will never say sorry, unless the highest court directs them to, after spending taxpayers’ money defending themselves.
The ruling will win local many governments in the elections, but don’t brace yourself for knowing fully about the candidates, their experience, and their personal convictions. Under those circumstances, we conclude that votes will not be based on integrity and strong leadership qualities, but history.
