The Post

SA has been without proper leadership since Mbeki resigned

Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow Don’t stop, it’ll soon be here It’ll be, better than before Yesterday’s gone, yesterday’s gone.

CHRISTINE Anne McVie died a few days ago on November 30 after a short illness. She was a vocalist and keyboard player for the British-American band Fleetwood Mac. One of the many songs she wrote and performed was Little Lies. The lyrics in the chorus go:

Tell me lies

Tell me sweet little lies

Tell me lies, tell me, tell me lies

On the same day McVie died, an independent panel handed over a report to Parliament which found President Cyril Ramaphosa had a case to answer following the theft of a significant amount of American dollars from his private game farm, Phala Phala.

Parliament appointed the panel which was made up of: Sandile Ngcobo, a former Chief Justice, Thokozile Masipa, a retired judge and Mahlape Sello, an advocate.

Ramaphosa was asked to explain how the dollars ended up on his farm, situated in Bela-Bela, Limpopo province.

Sadly, his responses were neither coherent nor logical. At best he tried to mislead the panel and, by extension, the rest of us. At worst he offered “sweet little lies”.

It is true there are many questions for which no answers have been provided. But, Ramaphosa was given the opportunity to be honest and transparent about what had transpired. He chose not to do so and, as a result, the only reasonable conclusion the panel could reach was that Ramaphosa had violated his oath of office.

The only honourable thing for Ramaphosa now to do is resign. It is the least he can do given that he has let the country down.

Ramaphosa promised us a new dawn after the “nine wasted years” of former president Jacob Zuma but Ramaphosa delivered nothing. He told us he would fight corruption but turned out to be as corrupt as the rest.

There are fears about who would take over should Ramaphosa go. But, let’s be honest – South Africa has been without proper leadership since Thabo Mbeki resigned 14 years ago.

Think back to the unrest in July last year – when we needed them most, where was Ramaphosa or any other senior government official for that matter?

The reality is that increasingly those South Africans who can, are taking care of their own needs be it electricity, water, healthcare, education or safety. As a result, whoever the next president may be is a moot point.

David Mabuza, the current deputy president of the ANC and the Republic, would be the most obvious choice. But there are some within the ruling party who don’t believe he is up to the job.

That begs the question: if those who appointed Mabuza deputy president don’t have confidence in his ability, why do we pay him a salary of R2.9million a year?

In the last few years South Africa has lurched from one crisis to another but we’ve survived.

We are resilient and there is no reason to believe this time will be any different. We can also take heart from the lyrics of another Fleetwood Mac song:

home was attacked at night. This was clearly an act of a racist attack, hence the need to ensure that those who perpetuate hate against their fellow countrymen are brought to book.

I note with interest also, that a political party, the EFF, who run with the hares and hunt with the hounds, is making political capital on this matter, also wanting to prefer charges against Migor, but conveniently forget that it too perpetuates racist remarks against the white and Indian communities, particularly its leader, Julius Malema.

But being the political opportunists and hypocrites that they are, this does not surprise me at all.

I wonder if the SAHRC would consider an enjoinder and become an amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the matter in which I am the applicant bringing a case of hate speech before the Equality Court?

NARENDH GANESH

Durban North

Opinion

en-za

2022-12-07T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-07T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://thepostza.pressreader.com/article/281844352667186

African News Agency