‘Premier’s ship of political influence has long sailed’

It would be ludicrous if it were not so sad reading that our provincial ANC chairman has decided to get some guts and is, on the basis of bad advice of course, wanting to take on an imagined “Premier League” – which he and his guru, Gwede Mantashe, believe has an undesirable hold on the entire ANC and its structures.

According to infantile, fertile imaginations this “league” – ostensibly comprising Free State premier Ace Magashule, North West premier Supra Mahumapelo and Mpumalanga’s David Mabuza, has dictated the course of events in the ANC in the past few months.

It never occurred to me that a creation by the media – this so-called “Premier League” – would be embraced with open arms by the likes of Masualle, judging by his preoccupation with the movements of the three premiers.

This gives a clear indication of the mindset of Masualle and his circle.

What I fail to understand about their characterisation and preoccupation with the provincial chairpersons of three progressive provinces, is that in terms of delivering services and having political clout, Masualle and his crew have failed to realise that their ship of influence has long sailed.

They have long lost the ability to influence policy and give political clarity and direction in the national space.

Slate politics omitted capable cadres of the movement from leading the ANC in this province and this has resulted in our current sad state of affairs in the Eastern Cape – our current leadership.

While this rumour peddled by the media is being easily accepted by people who one would expect a lot more from, maybe we are expecting too much from them. We nevertheless plead with them to stop peddling lies in their attempt to cling to a semblance of their imagined control.

The bottom line is that one cannot function properly in an environment where rumour mongering and peddling of lies is the order of the day, where this is what people eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Cris Jammi put it bluntly: “It is so easy at times for a lonely individual to begin fantasising about what the people outside are saying about him.”

Or, more to the point are the words of the late Terry Pratchet, “Some people think this is paranoia, but it isn’t. Paranoids only think everyone is out to get them. Wizards know it.”

Or perhaps William Nicholls, in his book Christian Antisemitism, puts it best of all: “Paranoia is transmissible from mind to mind, but it does not go by the route of reason. It can therefore change its rationalisation while remaining essentially the same.”

One can deduce from the statements made by Mantashe and Masualle that the word seems to have gone out to say there should be planned condemnation of the work being done by the three comrades in their respective provinces.

Now, if our premier feels offended by their achievements, why doesn’t he create his own premier league with other provincial chairpersons of the ANC who may share his sentiments about the so-called Premier League – if he can find any. Then they can create their own thing.

I just wonder if our premier in the Eastern Cape is not suffering a huge bout of jealousy about some individuals who have formed a progressive block in the ANC today, one which may just deliver us from the ills the ANC suffers.

I reluctantly address the young Reds who believe in their overactive imaginations, the careless statements attributed to their national secretary.

All this demonstrates is a bunch of people who will do anything to sing for their supper – to the point that they will incorrectly characterise the state of affairs in this nation of ours.

Further, they accuse the leadership of the ANC Youth League of having caucused positions and being spokespersons of political masters.

I guess a spirited defence of Bonginkosi Blade Nzimande is not equal in value to the achievements of the ANCYL.

For far too long the Young Communist League has been hogging the spotlight, thinking that in the absence of the ANCYL, they will be the political darlings of the day and will, if I may use their rhetoric, “provide political clarity”.

Seemingly they believe they are the only ones who have the God-given insight of political clarity, and that anything not approved by them or their mother body lacks clarity of thought.

I think these chaps forget that we, as the ANC, are not co-governing with the SACP in all spheres of governance.

We win elections as the ANC, not as an alliance. We are the registered political party and I, for one, welcomed the stance leading up to their national council where they planned to lobby for the SACP to go it alone in the upcoming elections.

It would have set the cat among the pigeons had that view been accepted and that resolution taken. Then we would have known who is who.

Unfortunately they got weak-kneed and dumped that view at the last minute. Had they not we would not now be held ransom by a few amongst us.

As a parting shot, I will leave these words from Shannon Alder to ponder on: “When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.”

Xolani Somaca is an ANC Raymond Mhlaba branch activist