Sisulu’s unofficial launch of presidential campaign exposed her shortcomings

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has been a member of parliament since the dawn of South Africa’s democracy in 1994.

For more than 20 years she has served as a minister in more than five departments such as intelligence, water and
sanitation and housing and human settlements.

The unofficial launch of her campaign to become president of the ruling ANC has made her to conveniently forget that she has sworn to defend the constitution of the country.

She has succeeded in grabbing the national stage and as a presidential candidate, she has propelled herself to the front of the queue of those challenging President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Every South African has the right to look at the constitution and ask “what’s in it for me?”

It is not a selfish question because that is what the constitution is there for, to give every citizen a piece of South Africa.

But there are people who get elected every five years to give life to the document that is the constitution.

Sisulu’s attack on the judiciary and the constitution cannot be dismissed as a mere contribution to the ongoing debate to improve the constitution and judiciary.

It cannot be that a serving minister can wake up on a random day and launch an attack on the constitution and judiciary, simply to get ahead in her party’s presidential race.

“South Africa is the most unequal society on earth,” she says.

‘Constitution not holy scripture’: Sisulu slams Lamola in yet another article

This is an obvious truth but when she was minister of housing as well as water and sanitation, did she make any major strides to provide these services to the “poor and marginalised” that she claims to be speaking on behalf of?

Can she point to at least one legacy project that her departments excelled in that permanently changed the lives of the poor? She is right, the constitution is not “holy scripture” and thus beyond criticism.

That must happen.

But the criticism cannot come from a person who has had nearly three decades to implement that document and make the lives of the poor more bearable.

She, and her organisation always talk about collective responsibility when they’re trying to shield individuals from being held accountable.

This is the perfect case for Sisulu to ask her comrades to all look in the mirror to see who has failed the poor over the last two decades.

She will not be judging Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in the mirror, it will be the entire ruling party looking back at itself.

Sisulu has actually pre-emptively struck at those who are bound to ask her: “What made it impossible for you to improve the lot of the poor?”

The judges and the constitution of course. It is better to point a finger at someone else to avoid owning up for her own failures.

ALSO READ: Sisulu pens another article slamming ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang, ‘other reactionaries’

She cannot make these statements publicly but chastise Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola for responding to her in an open letter, asking that he talk to her privately as it is “unheard of for Cabinet colleagues to address each other through the media”.

It is because she chose the media to launch an attack on structures his department oversees. Sisulu has made a messy entrance into the presidential race.

It has given her the spotlight and headlines but it has also exposed her as a president who would choose to blame others for her mistakes and shortcomings.