SHOCKING events are forcing every citizen to take a stand. Like a distant clap of thunder, it seems these might be a clear warning of bigger things to come.
We have all seen and talked about EFF leader Julius Malema standing up in parliament to ask President Jacob Zuma: “When are you going to pay back the Nkandla money?”
Watching from afar on a TV screen, I could see the president looked most unhappy. For some time, he stared morosely at Malema but you could read everything from the expression on his face. Indeed, he never imagined such a thing would happen to him.
Another development that has had people’s tongues wagging is the “defence” by top ANC leaders, Gwede Mantashe and Jessie Duarte, of “the movement” – meaning the ANC and its allies, against the Public Protector Thulisile “Thuli” Madonsela.
At the end of the day they failed. Instead, Madonsela, got more “yes votes” from the public. In a short time, she has become South Africa’s most popular figure. This is clear from the thousands of support messages everywhere in the social media.
“Thank you for being our champion and making us believe there is justice in this land,” said one facebooker; “I would like you to hold Zuma accountable”.
“Let Thuli Madonsela do her work,” said Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu with his daughter Reverend Mpho Tutu. “Maligning the Public Protector besmirches not only the ruling party, but the entire country. We are proud South Africa has an office of the public protector,” the Tutus said.
The situation unfolding is truly precarious and if not handled correctly things could become difficult, if not impossible, to recalibrate and mend.
It is also extremely worrying to learn the Defence Minister has some thoughts about defending parliament. That brought to mind the situation in Ukraine provoked by a similar incident of rowdy behaviour in parliament.
A cluster of masked men gathered at the door to Ukraine’s parliament. Veterans of the war in Afghanistan came to protect parliament’s proceedings from “provocateurs”, armed with automatic weapons they say were bought for hunting.
I hope that does not happen here with members of our army or a special unit of Umkhonto weSizwe attempting to “guard” parliament with guns.
Elsewhere in the world, official institutions have learnt, willingly or otherwise, to adapt to changing times. I think we are in such a time.
The EFF is the child of our history just as Madonsela is. We cannot wish either away. In fact, neither are about to go. We will have to learn to live with them for some time, especially the EFF.
Around 1978, if my memory still serves me well, Sobhizana ka Mgqikana wrote in Sechaba, the official publication of the ANC, “…after taking over the country from apartheid, we will be inheriting a people who are very aware of their rights and know what is wrong and right. They will be our creation. We will have to learn to live with them.”
Indeed, suppressing dissent and instilling fear by deploying the armed forces to the doorways of parliament won’t solve a problem. People will lose faith in our institutions and think democracy is under siege. The end will be too ghastly to contemplate.
Too ghastly to think about
We have all seen and talked about EFF leader Julius Malema standing up in parliament to ask President Jacob Zuma: “When are you going to pay back the Nkandla money?”
Watching from afar on a TV screen, I could see the president looked most unhappy. For some time, he stared morosely at Malema but you could read everything from the expression on his face. Indeed, he never imagined such a thing would happen to him.
Another development that has had people’s tongues wagging is the “defence” by top ANC leaders, Gwede Mantashe and Jessie Duarte, of “the movement” – meaning the ANC and its allies, against the Public Protector Thulisile “Thuli” Madonsela.
At the end of the day they failed. Instead, Madonsela, got more “yes votes” from the public. In a short time, she has become South Africa’s most popular figure. This is clear from the thousands of support messages everywhere in the social media.
“Thank you for being our champion and making us believe there is justice in this land,” said one facebooker; “I would like you to hold Zuma accountable”.
“Let Thuli Madonsela do her work,” said Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu with his daughter Reverend Mpho Tutu. “Maligning the Public Protector besmirches not only the ruling party, but the entire country. We are proud South Africa has an office of the public protector,” the Tutus said.
The situation unfolding is truly precarious and if not handled correctly things could become difficult, if not impossible, to recalibrate and mend.
It is also extremely worrying to learn the Defence Minister has some thoughts about defending parliament. That brought to mind the situation in Ukraine provoked by a similar incident of rowdy behaviour in parliament.
A cluster of masked men gathered at the door to Ukraine’s parliament. Veterans of the war in Afghanistan came to protect parliament’s proceedings from “provocateurs”, armed with automatic weapons they say were bought for hunting.
I hope that does not happen here with members of our army or a special unit of Umkhonto weSizwe attempting to “guard” parliament with guns.
Elsewhere in the world, official institutions have learnt, willingly or otherwise, to adapt to changing times. I think we are in such a time.
The EFF is the child of our history just as Madonsela is. We cannot wish either away. In fact, neither are about to go. We will have to learn to live with them for some time, especially the EFF.
Around 1978, if my memory still serves me well, Sobhizana ka Mgqikana wrote in Sechaba, the official publication of the ANC, “…after taking over the country from apartheid, we will be inheriting a people who are very aware of their rights and know what is wrong and right. They will be our creation. We will have to learn to live with them.”
Indeed, suppressing dissent and instilling fear by deploying the armed forces to the doorways of parliament won’t solve a problem. People will lose faith in our institutions and think democracy is under siege. The end will be too ghastly to contemplate.
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