If you find the words written hereunder familiar, you are not wrong. This words are contained in a letter written to former ANC and South African President Thabo Mbeki by the Current Minister of Sports Fikile Mbalula:
"Having reflected on Mandela’s words, I am certain that you either did not hear his wise words, or you deliberately elected not to take heed of them. His challenge to you to defend the unity and integrity of the ANC was central to his message and should have been a beacon in your leadership of the ANC. The smiles on the faces of the children are yet to reflect the sunshine in their hearts, because that moment is yet to come.
Mandela handed you a vibrant and united ANC, yet at the twilight of your Presidency, you chose to betray everything that Mandela and those that came before him stood for, struggled for, and laid down their lives for. In a moment of intoxication with power, you forgot Madiba’s wise counsel and allowed our glorious movement to stumble on the edge of an abyss.
When your cabal was finally defeated in Polokwane because of its actions and underhanded tactics at securing a third term for you as a President of the ANC, they went into an elaborate conspiratorial mode, famously dubbed “the fightback strategy,” which clearly carried your blessing. It is one’s considered view that it was the failure of this strategy that led you and your lieutenants to spawn the so-called Congress of the People as a vehicle to fight the ANC and undermine its hegemony and legacy.
It is a sad day in our nation that one has to allude that your legacy, at its pinnacle, has only brought us shame and disgrace, overshadowing what would have otherwise been a commendable political career. It is not my place to pass judgement, but am convinced that history will judge you very harshly for what you have come to represent in the latter day.
I find it rather instructive that in your reaction to the release of the Ngcuka/McCarthy transcripts you chose to pose the question as to how did the tapes come to be in the possession of the ANC President’s lawyers. The more fundamental issue which I would have expected would be your primary preoccupation would be how did you fail the nation so badly such that the chain of events over the last nine years landed us in the position we find ourselves in today. How did the state apparatus become so embroiled in partisan politics that sought to rip our movement apart such that not even the highest office in the land had the political will to put brakes on the rot that was settling in?
While the movement may take collective responsibility for the actions of our government as a ruling party, however, my heart bleeds that the relationship of trust the ANC conferred on you in Mafikeng was broken. The mantra of your Presidency, “the rule of law” was betrayed in the most vulgar way possible.
I don't find it surprising that as the nation prepares for another important conference in Mangaung the tassle for leadership of the most popular political organization in our country has already began. But what is important here is the type of leadership that all South African will inherit as a result of what transpires in Mangaung. We cannot ignore the fact that post Polokwane most of the leadership was chosen on the basis of loyalty to the President of the organization and this phenomenon descended down to Provincial and Local governments which left the country more poorer in terms of administration that in was before Polokwane.
The current administration has experienced a lot more reshuffling that the previous three administrations including the last T. Mbeki term which was cut short.
When the Zuma doctrine was sold to us the people on the ground pre-Polokwane, it was louded as the best presidency this country will ever have, the best person to unify the organization. I find it rather odd that none of those have happened and instead the rifts have grown bigger and bigger and even new ones have emerged.
Thabo Mbeki's quest for a third term as ANC president was not unconstitutional in terms of the ANC policy, as much as Jacob Zuma's quest for a second term is not a right. We all know very well that the likes of Tokyo were keen on the ANC presidency pre-Polokwane but deals were made to form a united front in order to dethrone Mbeki yet today members of the ANC who are against Zuma serving the second terms are victimized for speaking out loud but those that speak openly about their support for Zuma are ignored.
It is no secret that the type of leadership that comes out of the ANC elective conferences are the leadership that will be exposed to this country's citizens and voters will be expected to cast their votes in their favour. Leadership battles of the ANC are now fought through tyranic methods with certain leaders directing proceedings to an extend of eliminating what they consider as threads to their campaign.
Jacob Zuma has had his run as president of this country and truth be told it was not "The Best Presedency we've ever had". Controversy put aside JZ was made to be president by those who were left in political wilderness by Thabo Mbeki's administration and were looking to bounce back.
The whole country was left to accept the leader who's morals have been questionable even before he ascended the throne, the citizens of this country has been forced to defend the decision to vote into power a leader who is more controvesial Hugh Hefner. It still remains a fact that the "Rape" scandal was no conspiracy, Jacob Zuma had sex with a HIV positive young woman, took the shower afterwards. It is still a fact that Jacob Zuma has a child with Sonono Khoza and has married two other women in his tenure as president.
Looking at Umrabolo No. 11 - Throught the eye of the needle paragraph 37 says: "A leader should lead by example. He should be above reproach in his political and social conduct - as defined by our revolutionary morality. Through force of example, he should act as a role model to ANC members and non-members alike. Leading a life that reflects commitment to the strategic goals of the NDR includes not only being free of corrupt practices; it also means actively fighting against corruption." Par 38. "There are no ready-made leaders. Leaders evolve out of battles for social transformation. In these battles, cadres will stumble and some will fall. But the abiding quality of leadership is to learn from mistakes, to appreciate one's weaknesses and correct them."
Trying to correct Jacob Zuma's mistakes will be like trying to bend a fully grown elephants tusk, it will break in the end.
Jacob Zuma has held the "Machine gun" long enought in his hands and so far none of the targets has fallen. The National Health Insurence is probably gathering dust pending implementation, the SAPS has had three National Commissioners during his tenure, the land redistribution saga still remain unsolved, the infighting within the ANC has escalated more, the DA has won more Local Government seats than any other time since 1994 and the country has experienced more violent service delivery protest than it has even during the anti-Apartheid campaigns.
It's time to hand over the machine gun to someone who can aim it at relevant targets and make this country move forward, cleary JZ doesn't have the ammunition anymore. The Zuma cabal needs to accept that the same weapon they used in Polokwane will come back to haunt them, it may not happen in Mangaung but it will happen ultimately. The future of this country lies in the hands of those who will be casting votes in Mangaung but I doubt if this country's citizens will continue accept undesireable leadership pushed to their direction by individual who pretend to serve the interests of the nation while knowing clearly that they are in it for their personnal wealth.
The best thing we can do is hope that sanity will prevail in Mangaung and leaders will be chosen on merits with the focus on service to the citizens, youth, aged, vulnerable and poorest of the poor in this country.
Like Bishop Trevor Huddleston once prayed:
God bless Africa..
Guide her children...
Guide her rulers...
For Jesus Christ sake.
I don't find it surprising that as the nation prepares for another important conference in Mangaung the tassle for leadership of the most popular political organization in our country has already began. But what is important here is the type of leadership that all South African will inherit as a result of what transpires in Mangaung. We cannot ignore the fact that post Polokwane most of the leadership was chosen on the basis of loyalty to the President of the organization and this phenomenon descended down to Provincial and Local governments which left the country more poorer in terms of administration that in was before Polokwane.
The current administration has experienced a lot more reshuffling that the previous three administrations including the last T. Mbeki term which was cut short.
When the Zuma doctrine was sold to us the people on the ground pre-Polokwane, it was louded as the best presidency this country will ever have, the best person to unify the organization. I find it rather odd that none of those have happened and instead the rifts have grown bigger and bigger and even new ones have emerged.
Thabo Mbeki's quest for a third term as ANC president was not unconstitutional in terms of the ANC policy, as much as Jacob Zuma's quest for a second term is not a right. We all know very well that the likes of Tokyo were keen on the ANC presidency pre-Polokwane but deals were made to form a united front in order to dethrone Mbeki yet today members of the ANC who are against Zuma serving the second terms are victimized for speaking out loud but those that speak openly about their support for Zuma are ignored.
It is no secret that the type of leadership that comes out of the ANC elective conferences are the leadership that will be exposed to this country's citizens and voters will be expected to cast their votes in their favour. Leadership battles of the ANC are now fought through tyranic methods with certain leaders directing proceedings to an extend of eliminating what they consider as threads to their campaign.
Jacob Zuma has had his run as president of this country and truth be told it was not "The Best Presedency we've ever had". Controversy put aside JZ was made to be president by those who were left in political wilderness by Thabo Mbeki's administration and were looking to bounce back.
The whole country was left to accept the leader who's morals have been questionable even before he ascended the throne, the citizens of this country has been forced to defend the decision to vote into power a leader who is more controvesial Hugh Hefner. It still remains a fact that the "Rape" scandal was no conspiracy, Jacob Zuma had sex with a HIV positive young woman, took the shower afterwards. It is still a fact that Jacob Zuma has a child with Sonono Khoza and has married two other women in his tenure as president.
Looking at Umrabolo No. 11 - Throught the eye of the needle paragraph 37 says: "A leader should lead by example. He should be above reproach in his political and social conduct - as defined by our revolutionary morality. Through force of example, he should act as a role model to ANC members and non-members alike. Leading a life that reflects commitment to the strategic goals of the NDR includes not only being free of corrupt practices; it also means actively fighting against corruption." Par 38. "There are no ready-made leaders. Leaders evolve out of battles for social transformation. In these battles, cadres will stumble and some will fall. But the abiding quality of leadership is to learn from mistakes, to appreciate one's weaknesses and correct them."
Trying to correct Jacob Zuma's mistakes will be like trying to bend a fully grown elephants tusk, it will break in the end.
Jacob Zuma has held the "Machine gun" long enought in his hands and so far none of the targets has fallen. The National Health Insurence is probably gathering dust pending implementation, the SAPS has had three National Commissioners during his tenure, the land redistribution saga still remain unsolved, the infighting within the ANC has escalated more, the DA has won more Local Government seats than any other time since 1994 and the country has experienced more violent service delivery protest than it has even during the anti-Apartheid campaigns.
It's time to hand over the machine gun to someone who can aim it at relevant targets and make this country move forward, cleary JZ doesn't have the ammunition anymore. The Zuma cabal needs to accept that the same weapon they used in Polokwane will come back to haunt them, it may not happen in Mangaung but it will happen ultimately. The future of this country lies in the hands of those who will be casting votes in Mangaung but I doubt if this country's citizens will continue accept undesireable leadership pushed to their direction by individual who pretend to serve the interests of the nation while knowing clearly that they are in it for their personnal wealth.
The best thing we can do is hope that sanity will prevail in Mangaung and leaders will be chosen on merits with the focus on service to the citizens, youth, aged, vulnerable and poorest of the poor in this country.
Like Bishop Trevor Huddleston once prayed:
God bless Africa..
Guide her children...
Guide her rulers...
For Jesus Christ sake.
