Helen Zille and teh ANC Alliance Locking Horns (Benjamin Earwicker)

Lets’s look at the important bits of the letter that seemed to have raise the ire of the ANC and alliance:

“… And, more significantly, the ANC’s leader, Jacob Zuma, is a self-confessed womanizer with deeply sexist views, who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman. Even after this the ANC women’s league strongly endorsed his Presidential campaign. Their professions of support for women’s rights ring hollow indeed against this background. …”

Calling the country’s President a self-confessed womanizer with deeply sexist views is probably going over the top and should not be part of a media release. The observation about putting ‘all his wives at risk’ is reasonable and a simple statement of fact; but more in keeping with a conversation than a media release. The rest of the letter is an attempt to justify the composition of the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet and is along the lines of what the DA normally say.

Did the content of the letter justify the fury unleashed by the ANC and cohorts? Probably not. But, the continued hounding of Jacob Zuma (we talked about this previously) has exacerbated the situation and escalated the name calling to this point (excerpts from the ANC Youth League statement):

“… the racist girl Helen Zille …”

“… her stupid and sexist decision …”

“… all male cabinet of useless people, majority of whom are her boyfriends and concubines so that she can continue to sleep around with them …”

“… fake racist girl who was dropped on a head as child …”

This comes across as just plain childish. If children reacted in this way they would be sent to their rooms to think about things. That said, though, it has become very personal and I would not be surprised if Helen Zille did not make a(nother) call to the DA’s lawyers. Statements of this type are what we have come to expect from the ANC Youth League. It paints a woeful picture of the potential future leaders of the country.

Interestingly, we have not heard much from Jacob Zuma about the subject. He has let others do the dirty for him while he (in his inauguration speech) talked about working alongside the opposition. Is this a dignified silence or a calculated ploy to paint Helen Zille as a monster.

So, Helen Zille, it is time to back down for a bit and be more of a Premier and less of the leader of the National opposition. Let other members of your party do the politicking and dirty work. You are now the Premier of ALL the people in the Western Cape and not just those who voted for you. Help them realize their dreams they had on voting day. In the same way, Jacob Zuma is president of all the people of South Africa. He needs some time to get going.

What is YOUR take on all of this. Add a comment.

How is the African National Congress going to Swim against the stream? (Ilker)

The ANC has not been in opposition (except at the Local Government level in some towns and cities across South Africa) for 15 years. The style of opposition that it provided 15 years ago is not the style that is required in the modern democratic South Africa. There is no need for the violence and retaliation that marked the last years of apartheid. There is no need for using the trade unions to cause civil disturbances. There is no need for trumped up charges. There is no need for drawn out legal wranglings over every piece of legislation. The DA will have been elected to power in the Western Cape through a democratic election with universal suffrage and therefore deserve an ANC opposition that reflects, and is in-keeping with, a modern democratic state.

Could the ANC point out the problems of the DA provincial government in a way that is non-confrontational? Could the ANC compliment a DA provincial government when they do something well that is on the agenda of both parties? Could they, hopefully, not use the might of central government to ram through power grabbing or populist policies aimed at winning the next elections?

And finally, can there be a bit of quid pro quo? Could the DA limit some of the over the top rhetoric and attacks on the ANC, especially Jacob Zuma? Will the DA, likely to still be the official National opposition occasionally actually praise them, or maybe even just some of the ANC people in government.

Do the DA need to go to War against Jacob Zuma? (Kriss Szkurlatowski)

Let’s put aside whether Jacob Zuma is guilty or not guilty. Let’s put aside the legal and procedural convolutions that were gone through to arrive at the status quo. Let’s even put aside the likelihood of executive interference.

The real issue, from the DA perspective is that being re-active has never won an election. It is time for the DA to push the DA agenda regardless of the ANC (African National Congress), Cope (Congress of the People), ID (Independent Democrats) or any other party agenda. It seems, from the DA’s point of view, that it is easier to be known for what you are not or what you are against, rather than for what you actually stand for.

With the timing of the announcement, the ANC has managed to redirect the DA’s focus and effort away from the important tasks of positive campaigning and towards the less energy efficient sniping and bickering.

I don’t think that this constant (and almost vindictive) attack on Jacob Zuma and the ANC is not going to gain any votes. The people that agree with the process will probably vote DA (or another opposition party) anyway. The DA need to get into the suburbs and townships and go from door to door selling the vision of the DA. They should be counteracting the propaganda of the ANC, especially the parts about the return of apartheid and the fact that the DA is a ‘White Party’ (even if that may be partly true … the ‘White Party’ bit anyway).

It's a Dirty Game, is Politics (Shannon Pifko)

It is too easy to blame the ANC (African National Congress) for corruption, etc. or to blame the DA (Democratic Alliance) for being a white party (and therefore racist), or Cope (Congress of the People) for being disorganised and a watered down version of the ANC. And these are calls that are being made from all sides of the political landscape. Discussions between both party officials, and especially, party supporters, easily get off-track and end up in name calling. A wander around any number of online chat rooms and blog comment lists show how personal and deeply emotional the debate can get. Any semblance of civilised discussion, a comparison of competing policies and promotion of achievements gets lost in a pile of acrimony, finger-pointing and finally boasting and comparing certain parts of the male anatomy.

It seems that policy gets lost very quickly when power touches it. Even quicker when emotion is stacked up alongside the policy. It stands no chance then. It is quite sad that the breadth of policy and conscience is reduced to a simple binary selection – should I vote for this party or that? And that choice is emotional.

South African Flag - Less Important to ANC Cadres? (Matthew Bowden)

Is this wrong? I’m not sure. People to have the right to choose their own loyalties. Where it does become problematical is when the actions are at cross purposes to the words. If, hypothetically, the Chinese government provides funds for the ANC election campaign, and the Chinese government then asks for a favour from the ANC (who just happen to be the party in power), which results in South Africa’s international image being tarnished and the loss of the moral high ground, then there is loyalty towards the ANC that overrides that towards the country and which casts the country in a bad light. And is there any evidence that this not how it works? The foreign service is working overtime trying to repair the Dalai Lama mess.

Does it sit uncomfortably? Absolutely. Any decision could now be of paramount importance to the ANC but not in the interests of the country. Who knows which is the next issue that will be dealt with in this way? And with South Africa’s record in the corruption sphere, there is an inkling, a worry bubbling in the back of mind, that there are individuals making these decisions for their own profit.

Is there a mindset changed required within the ANC? Probably. Fifteen or twenty years ago it would have been OK to put the organisation first. The government was illegitimate but still representing the people of the country. Today we here the over-used phrases: “for the good of our people” and “government for all South Africans”. It rings a bit hollow if the country’s interests are being placed second.

The ANC and their comrades in government need to be clear where the lines between the two are. With a clear distinction between party and government and the concomitant distinction between party loyalists and citizens can ensure that the best decision are reached for each constituency.

Dalai Lama (martin louis)

This was peace conference that was organised by the World Cup 2010 organising committee. A peace conference that had the support and patronship of three of South Africa’s nobel laureates, Nelson Mandela, FW de Klerk and the Bish, Desmond Tutu.

The famous, humble, headstrong and very political holy man will now be spending the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan exile in any place but South Africa. At the behest of the Chinese. Or so we are led to believe by the media although this is vociferously denied by the ruling ANC government.

Why has the ANC, and therefore the government take these contrary positions on a number of very questionable regimes? Libya and Myanmar benefited while South Africa were on the United Nations security council.

• So, should the Chinese be in Tibet? Probably not. Although the history of the area is very complex with a multitude of treaties, wars and invasions.
• Does the Dalai Lama have the right to protest the Chinese in his country? Absolutely.
• Was the Dalai Lama going to use the 2010 World Cup Peace Conference as a platform to push his agenda? Almost certainly.
• Would he have got as much publicity this way compared to what the ANC handed to him? Unlikely.
• Did the ANC give the Chinese too much respect? Probably.
• Has this damaged South Africa’s international image. Almost guaranteed, especially in the light of all the other strange decisions around pariah nations.