History Matters

The ANC and all informed opinion makers are looking carefully at the split in the ANC and how this will effect the economy of the country which, like the rest of the globe, is facing an economic downturn and severe crisis. The ANC, it seems, is unable to manage the hemorrhaging of a sizeable number of its members to the Shikota group (COPE).

The credibility of the President of the ANC – his desperate turn to mindless popularism and his relationship to the Youth League – is not winning him or the ANC friends. In fact Zuma’s and the Youth League’s leaders use of intemperate language, that has verged on hate speech, has raised the spectre of violence marring the election campaign. It also raises the question of why is it that the ANC cannot reign in Julius Malema and his Youth League? Is it that he is a battering ram for Zuma or is it that the ANC is so divided and weak that it is beholden to the Youth league. If the ANC was strong then it would be able to deal with the Malemas in its ranks and not rely on the Youth league to drive its election campaign. It is no coincidence that the former youth league president and also a dangerous demagogue is heading its election campaign. 

The ANC has sunk to such a low level that the Malemas could, from a public forum, denigrate the premier of the Northern Cape by calling her dishonest and asking her to leave the movement. The behaviour is reminiscent of the public show trials conducted by Stalin and Mao. One wonders if these thugs would use the same language in KwaZulu-Natal against a ANC leader who moves out and joins Buthulezi’s IFP?

The charge that the ANC has now been taken over by a clique who will use violence and other undemocratic tactics to oust people so that they can get control over the leavers of power was clearly evident in the Northern Cape.  

It is clear that other than the likes of (Pallo) Jordon and (Zola) Skweyiya and a few others, the rest of the ANC leadership are silent or powerless and do not have the courage to stand up to this behaviour and win back the ANC.