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.