‘Thieves’ are voted in time and again

It was a “blast from the past” when anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Mkhuseli Jack fired a broadside at the ANC, saying it was “destroying the country piece by piece”… but people keep on voting for it.

The former United Democratic Front and ex-Port Elizabeth Youth Congress leader added: “We must start to discuss within our homes, households, families and communities how we are going to drastically stop this vanguard of thieves.”

His equally outspoken prophecy for the future was: “If this current version of ANC prevails and continues to win the hearts and minds of our people, I am afraid SA is going to turn into dust soon.”

Jack’s tirade, delivered in a Facebook post, is evidence of a growing anger among those who fought apartheid, that the ANC – despite the best intentions of Cyril Ramaphosa to root out corruption – is betraying the ideas for which people fought.

Yet, sadly, the truth is that the majority of South Africans continue to vote the party into power for two reasons. First, the ANC will always be the organisation which brought “liberation” to the black people of South Africa… and is seen as the one which can improve the lives of ordinary people (even when this is more perception than reality). Second, no opposition political party has so far offered a credible alternative to the promises of a “better life for all”, which is the anchor of the ANC’s political propaganda.

It was telling that, at the height of corruption allegations against a significant number of its top leaders, the ANC was nevertheless able to acquit itself well in the by-elections around the country last week. It took seats away from the DA in DA strongholds and towered over the EFF in the black political stakes.

Ominously for South Africa, that situation doesn’t look likely to change soon.

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