The age of political tsotsis – God help us

Max du Preez IOL October 23 2008

Amid all the confusion, perplexities and mixed messages coming from the political arena in recent times, one thing is crystal clear: we South Africans should drastically lower our expectations of our political leaders.

It started with Thabo Mbeki, the once charming, warm-hearted diplomat and inspiring leader who became an insecure, paranoid little guy with deep prejudices, bizarre ideas and an authoritarian streak when he became president.

The next big disappointment was the man of the people, Jacob Zuma. He went from peacemaker and caring father figure to one who has dealings with devious financiers, who refuses to tell what he really knows about the shady arms deal, who uses thugs and tribalists to further his cause and oversees Stalinist purges in the ANC.

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Oh, there are many others, some of them still very much on the scene. Like Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, whose ideas about HIV and Aids were the worst sick joke of the decade. Like Charles Nqakula, Butana Komphela, Ngconde Balfour, Essop Pahad, Lulu Xingwana, etc, etc.

These are the obvious ones. But there were many others, men and women we respected, who simply could not muster enough courage to get up in the ANC or the cabinet to oppose the Mbeki administration’s madness – about HIV and Aids, about Zimbabwe, about the total neglect of our education system; about the undermining of the power of parliament; about the blurring of the lines between state and party; about the refusal to expose the corruption of the arms deal; about the total undermining of the principles of non-racialism.

Despite his present arrogance and that of his cheering commando, Zuma was one of those who did not protest.

His lieutenants Kgalema Motlanthe, Mathews Phosa, Baleka Mbete, Tokyo Sexwale and Thandi Modise also never stood up for what they knew was right.

They didn’t even have the guts to stand up to the ANC Youth League’s Julius Malema when he threatened to kill Zuma’s opponents, and when he and others launched unprecedented and reckless attacks on the judiciary.

Dissident leaders Terror Lekota and Sam Shilowa can’t claim they stood up to Mbeki’s madness either. The first time they stood up to the party leadership was when Mbeki was hounded out like a criminal by the Zuma faction.

Since that event the poor moral quality of our politicians has been on show very publicly. The term “political tsotsis” comes to mind. And no, I’m not even talking about the disgusting behaviour of the ANC and SACP Youth Leagues.

I am talking about the gutter-level insults we’ve been subjected to. Like Zuma calling the Mbeki administration a “dead snake”. Like the chairperson of the ANC Women’s League, Angie Motshekga, calling Shilowa, Lekota and their friends “dogs”.

The dissidents have been called cowards, charlatans, donkeys, monkeys and traitors.

It’s not a serious thing to hurt or even kill a snake or a dog, and almost an act of patriotism to kill a traitor. And didn’t Julius Malema and Zwelinzima Vavi warn they would kill those who stand in Zuma’s way?

Has-beens and wannabes now creep out of the woodwork to heap scorn on the dissidents, and praise the new naked emperor – there’s never anything new in politics. Like long-time Zuma sycophant Mo Shaik, accusing Shilowa of not being a democrat, because he quit the political party of his choice to form another!

This week it was the turn of Carl Niehaus. After I read his vicious attack on Lekota and Shilowa, I couldn’t help wondering whether Carl was angling for a job after next year’s election.

Shilowa and Lekota joined the ANC out of convenience, says Niehaus. Can he be talking about the Lekota who devoted his entire teenage and adult life before 1994 to resisting apartheid, and who spent years in jail for that? The Lekota who was overwhelmingly chosen national chairman of the ANC?

Could he be talking about the same Shilowa who was a pioneer and giant in the trade union movement?

Shaik and Niehaus demonstrate an understanding of democracy representative of most in the Zuma camp: you’re a democrat if you agree with the majority, or if you’re a “loyal and disciplined” member of the ANC. God help us.