In South Africa, the ruling African National Party (ANC) competes for power and money, and has lost sight of the purpose of democratic governance. Ordinary members lose sight of the real objective and place leaders on pedestals. Every political party is useful to the system, but useless to the people. In politics, numbers do count and vote-rigging and buying is the dominant method of grabbing power.
South Africa no longer needs a leader who giggles, sings and dances to the masses while continuing to corrupt the system. It is seriously time for a new leader who is not eager for self-enrichment and is an active negotiator. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has a history of resolving conflicts, yet the mistrust and deficit he has created has rendered Ramaphosa a lame duck, and a person to jump to the whims of the old ANC exiled members. Ramaphosa is a person that will follow the wind in whichever way needed to advance his own self-interest, and is like a chameleon – one moment a socialist; next a ruthless capitalist or a populist Marxist.
Whatever vision Ramaphosa has for the ANC and South Africa, there will be contention and attempts to fill the coffers with money. In doing so, the deputy president will secure the highest position in the land, and appease the powerful people in the ANC who have a vested interest in the prevailing culture. There is no need for a transformational president who might upset the high political stakes the ANC have implemented.
The problem of the ANC government goes back to the policies whereby the liberation movement sought to address the question of apartheid without also finding a way to deal with capitalism and the exploitation of cheap black labor. Today, the manipulation of the poor remains a critical problem. The ANC have not addressed the issues of poverty and corruption at the grass-root levels.
The ANC is rotten to the core, and the chaos the ruling party is in today has been generated from greed. The ANC has been on a long path of purging anybody with integrity since the 1980s. The ANC is perhaps regretting the constitutional checks and balances that limit their ability to run amok. Bereft of almost all leadership capacity, they are unable to turn the party from its ruinous obsession with corrupted wealth accumulation. The ANC is weaker; confused and obsessed with race; corrupt; and impervious to criticism.
South Africa is a corrupt country, and the entire political body is riddled with it. South Africa is in the middle of a corruption gridlock in which many people in high positions hold secrets of dirty deals on each other and dare not blow the whistle for fear of having it blown on them. The president of the country, Jacob Zuma, has managed to elude the justice system and has been cleared of major corruption charges. Therefore, how can Zuma crack down on corruption running amok throughout the land?
ANC members compete for access to state resources and have become part of the bling culture. The willingness of the leadership to go along with the traveling circus of looters is rewarded through the use of shortcuts to get rich quickly. The new lifestyle is the standard for achievement, as it depicts the overcoming of the shackles of apartheid. However, the flashy lifestyle among the elite has increased the poverty of the masses in South Africa.
The ANC has lost its soul, and is singularly lacking in any competent leadership. Does the ANC have the values, ability and commitment required to transform the thoroughly corrupt party into a champion democratic party? For years, the ANC has responded with its intention to fight corruption, wasteful expenditure, and failed audits, but has not shown any conclusive victory in combating the corrupt system.
PUBLISHED ON THE GUARDIAN LV TODAY. - HERE IS THE LINK
No comments:
Post a Comment