Following his decision to unilaterally reshuffle his cabinet President Jacob Zuma has been on a collision course with his comrades in the ANC. Deep internal divisions at the highest realm of leadership have burst into the open. These internal leadership divisions have rippled down through the party splitting the general membership into pro- and anti-Zuma constituencies.
One would naturally wonder how a president who once declared his unflinching commitment to the ANC, choosing it over the country, could then put his interests ahead of that same organisation. Yet Zuma has clearly chosen himself this time and jettisoned his ANC.
The one incredible achievement in the cabinet purge and myriad other presidential faux pas, is that Zuma has inadvertently managed to bring the country’s opposition parties and civil society together and galvanise them into action.
We have seen them unite across a very broad spectrum in a national day of action to make an unequivocal demand: that the President step down for he has sold out this country.
For the first time ideological differences have been put aside and patriotism has become a rallying point. The national day of action, coinciding with Zuma’s 75th birthday, was a day of notable ironies – protest was deemed the best birthday present for this president. Meanwhile the Constitutional Court is preoccupied with whether a vote of no-confidence against the president in parliament should be by secret ballot or not.
Another irony was that the president shared his birthday with another high-profile member of the ANC – Pravin Gordhan the person he fired from the finance ministry along with Mcebisi Jonas despite being advised against this by his comrades in the ANC top six.
It was at that point that he chose himself and his own interests over those of South Africa. The country inevitably suffered two investment rating downgrades to junk status. A third may be in the offing. All of this against a backdrop of an economy that is barely growing.
The president is surely acutely aware of this reality. And of the fact that our country is overwhelmed by massive unemployment and inequality.
These factors considered it is unfathomable that one of his circle, Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, would make a mockery of our weakened currency in the aftermath of the sham cabinet reshuffle and make remarks that suggest a serious knowledge deficit on her part about economics.
What a welcome relief was the decision by the governor of the Reserve Bank, Lesetja Kganyago, to embark on an awareness drive, to teach ordinary citizens about the workings of South Africa’s “central” bank and the implications of the credit downgrade.
It is patently clear that in the Zuma coterie we have people with an exaggerated sense of self-importance. But not only are their egos over-inflated, their sense of what is wrong or right has been dangerously numbed.
Worse is that Zuma and his cheerleaders are evidently so completely self-absorbed that they are oblivious or simply do not care that their actions have adversely affected multitudes of people in this country.
The negative impact is no longer limited to the ANC – it has filtered across our entire society. We are treading a dangerous path. History is littered with examples of what happens when a wide chasm opens within a ruling party and former comrades become new foes. We have indeed, entered an era of dangerous politics. Zimbabwe is a case in point.
What continues to baffle me is the replacement of a finance minister with so much expertise and know-how in the treasury space with someone who has neither the necessary experience, nor a clue of what his new role entails.
One could counter-argue that the Treasury is an institution that exudes competence due to its resourcefulness in terms of personnel so that it becomes less about an individual and more about the collective. Fair enough, but why throw away expertise and opt for an “intern”, so to speak. It’s absolute nonsense.
Now we have an Honourable Minister with an “economic adviser” who is expected to provide much needed guidance. The very concept of radical socio-economic transformation I remain unable to fathom, both in terms of substance and scope. I’m almost certain this would apply to would-be investors too.
Someone has to strip radical socioeconomic transformation to its bare essence. It remains to be seen if there will be any significant departure from the current economic policy imperatives, all the talk about radical economic transformation notwithstanding.
Meanwhile it is fascinating to note that marches have become as popular today as expressions of public discontent as they were in the liberation struggle era. One has a certain sense of nostalgia when witnessing these public spectacles.
We cannot, however, delude ourselves into thinking these protest marches will result in Zuma abdicating his position. They will only draw attention to a president who has sacrificed his country at the altar of self-gratification.
Now a new movement has been launched as an all-inclusive platform for freedom-loving South Africans to speak in one voice against Zuma’s misrule. This movement’s posture transcends all organisational ideological rigidities.
Yet the president is unflinching. His master tactic is to portray himself as a victim, and now he is attempting to sell the line that his only sin is to push a radical transformation agenda which includes the expropriation of land without compensation, against an “enemy” of “white monopoly capital”. He has ensured that his revolutionary rhetoric echoes among from his allies, the ANC Youth League, the Women’s League and the MKMVA (KwaZulu-Natal).
Zuma’s faction in the ANC’s highest authority structure sustains his presidency of the Republic. His loyalists who are predictably prepared to defend the democratically elected president to the point of death. But it is deeply problematic when power becomes so personalised. There is no longer talk of the state as an institution or the ANC as an organisation – it all about one individual.
The “enemy-friend” dialectic is enjoying currency. The new Minister of Police even disowned Gordhan, telling him not to hide behind the ANC, but to go and form his own party. This demonstrates the depth of Fikile Mbalula’s loyalty to Zuma not the organisation. As for Mokonyane I cannot describe her support of Zuma, except to say her escapades are stupidity personified.
When the constitution of the Republic was crafted, especially the powers of the president, it was not with the current President in mind. It was never anticipated that presidential prerogative to appoint and to disappoint would be for purposes of abuse. Yet here we are today.
Lindani Ntenteni is from Ginsberg township
OPINION: Politics not about ANC but Zuma
One would naturally wonder how a president who once declared his unflinching commitment to the ANC, choosing it over the country, could then put his interests ahead of that same organisation. Yet Zuma has clearly chosen himself this time and jettisoned his ANC.
The one incredible achievement in the cabinet purge and myriad other presidential faux pas, is that Zuma has inadvertently managed to bring the country’s opposition parties and civil society together and galvanise them into action.
We have seen them unite across a very broad spectrum in a national day of action to make an unequivocal demand: that the President step down for he has sold out this country.
For the first time ideological differences have been put aside and patriotism has become a rallying point. The national day of action, coinciding with Zuma’s 75th birthday, was a day of notable ironies – protest was deemed the best birthday present for this president. Meanwhile the Constitutional Court is preoccupied with whether a vote of no-confidence against the president in parliament should be by secret ballot or not.
Another irony was that the president shared his birthday with another high-profile member of the ANC – Pravin Gordhan the person he fired from the finance ministry along with Mcebisi Jonas despite being advised against this by his comrades in the ANC top six.
It was at that point that he chose himself and his own interests over those of South Africa. The country inevitably suffered two investment rating downgrades to junk status. A third may be in the offing. All of this against a backdrop of an economy that is barely growing.
The president is surely acutely aware of this reality. And of the fact that our country is overwhelmed by massive unemployment and inequality.
These factors considered it is unfathomable that one of his circle, Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, would make a mockery of our weakened currency in the aftermath of the sham cabinet reshuffle and make remarks that suggest a serious knowledge deficit on her part about economics.
What a welcome relief was the decision by the governor of the Reserve Bank, Lesetja Kganyago, to embark on an awareness drive, to teach ordinary citizens about the workings of South Africa’s “central” bank and the implications of the credit downgrade.
It is patently clear that in the Zuma coterie we have people with an exaggerated sense of self-importance. But not only are their egos over-inflated, their sense of what is wrong or right has been dangerously numbed.
Worse is that Zuma and his cheerleaders are evidently so completely self-absorbed that they are oblivious or simply do not care that their actions have adversely affected multitudes of people in this country.
The negative impact is no longer limited to the ANC – it has filtered across our entire society. We are treading a dangerous path. History is littered with examples of what happens when a wide chasm opens within a ruling party and former comrades become new foes. We have indeed, entered an era of dangerous politics. Zimbabwe is a case in point.
What continues to baffle me is the replacement of a finance minister with so much expertise and know-how in the treasury space with someone who has neither the necessary experience, nor a clue of what his new role entails.
One could counter-argue that the Treasury is an institution that exudes competence due to its resourcefulness in terms of personnel so that it becomes less about an individual and more about the collective. Fair enough, but why throw away expertise and opt for an “intern”, so to speak. It’s absolute nonsense.
Now we have an Honourable Minister with an “economic adviser” who is expected to provide much needed guidance. The very concept of radical socio-economic transformation I remain unable to fathom, both in terms of substance and scope. I’m almost certain this would apply to would-be investors too.
Someone has to strip radical socioeconomic transformation to its bare essence. It remains to be seen if there will be any significant departure from the current economic policy imperatives, all the talk about radical economic transformation notwithstanding.
Meanwhile it is fascinating to note that marches have become as popular today as expressions of public discontent as they were in the liberation struggle era. One has a certain sense of nostalgia when witnessing these public spectacles.
We cannot, however, delude ourselves into thinking these protest marches will result in Zuma abdicating his position. They will only draw attention to a president who has sacrificed his country at the altar of self-gratification.
Now a new movement has been launched as an all-inclusive platform for freedom-loving South Africans to speak in one voice against Zuma’s misrule. This movement’s posture transcends all organisational ideological rigidities.
Yet the president is unflinching. His master tactic is to portray himself as a victim, and now he is attempting to sell the line that his only sin is to push a radical transformation agenda which includes the expropriation of land without compensation, against an “enemy” of “white monopoly capital”. He has ensured that his revolutionary rhetoric echoes among from his allies, the ANC Youth League, the Women’s League and the MKMVA (KwaZulu-Natal).
Zuma’s faction in the ANC’s highest authority structure sustains his presidency of the Republic. His loyalists who are predictably prepared to defend the democratically elected president to the point of death. But it is deeply problematic when power becomes so personalised. There is no longer talk of the state as an institution or the ANC as an organisation – it all about one individual.
The “enemy-friend” dialectic is enjoying currency. The new Minister of Police even disowned Gordhan, telling him not to hide behind the ANC, but to go and form his own party. This demonstrates the depth of Fikile Mbalula’s loyalty to Zuma not the organisation. As for Mokonyane I cannot describe her support of Zuma, except to say her escapades are stupidity personified.
When the constitution of the Republic was crafted, especially the powers of the president, it was not with the current President in mind. It was never anticipated that presidential prerogative to appoint and to disappoint would be for purposes of abuse. Yet here we are today.
Lindani Ntenteni is from Ginsberg township
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos