Parliament fire: A metaphor for everyday life in South Africa

It has been said by a number of people, but it is well worth repeating. The fiery destruction of parliament in Cape Town and all of the events around it are a sadly fitting metaphor for present-day, ANC-governed South Africa.

The inferno could have been caused by incompetence or malfeasance – including possible failure to comply with safety requirements due to corruption – more or less the same story in our government departments and our state-owned enterprises over the past 20 years (the rot began before Jacob Zuma took over as president of the country and the ANC in 2008).

Then there is the by now commonplace – but just as unedifying – sight of senior politicians looking on helplessly.

Fiddling while the country burns was not just the preserve of Roman Emperor Nero…

When they’re not mesmerised by the implosion in front of them, our politicians are passing the buck with a refrain so often repeated that it could pass for our national anthem: “It’s not my fault.”

Much as Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan did last year when distancing himself from the Eskom power station failures because he does not work at the plant, speaker of parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula got angry with journalists who asked whether she, as the political figurehead, should not be held accountable. It is the people lower down the chain of command who are always hung out to dry.

Also Read: Don’t blame me for parliament fire, says Mapisa-Nqakula

Then, in typical South African fashion, political parties were jumping to make hay out of the sunshine of the ANC’s and country’s grief.

The Economic Freedom Fighters was prominent among them, with its leaders suggesting that the fire was an opportunity to move parliament to Tshwane.

Even more disgusting was the gloating tweets of Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile, who similarly encouraged wanton destruction during the July riots last year.

All we wait for now is a multimillion-rand commission of inquiry…