No Excuse Left for Doing Nothing

For a long time, voters in Africa have been mere spectators, periodically validating the right of ruling parties to prevail over wanna-be opposition parties.  To the extent that drives many to fatalism – declaring they won't vote because there is no real choice.  Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu echoed this voter paralysis recently – saying that if there was an immanent election, he might not vote at all, as he is so disenamoured with the present ANC.  In a country that struggled so long for Democracy, this profound comment really made people think.  It shook some foundations.

On Thursday, George Bizos spoke at Wits University in Johannesburg.  He was one of the lawyers that represented Nelson Mandela and others in the Treason Trials.  Call him a pillar of the ANC. “I would defend the right of people to gather outside the court to support their leader”, he said, commenting on the mass actions that have been staged by Zuma supporters every time he has had to appear in court.  A group of ANC members applauded his remark.

But he had not finished.  Early in the 1950s when he was a student, he continued, he was part of a group that assdembled at the Johannesburg Magistrates' Count in protest against the arrest of Dr. James Moroka and other Struggle stalwarts.  When 2,500 supporters - mainly students - jammed the gallery thus blocking the proceedings, Moroka thanked them for coming and asked them to move out so that proceedings could start.  Bizos recalled that the crowd obliged.  The protest was orderly.

“I would not support people who threaten violence and say they would destroy people and property if the court did not decide in their favour,” he went on, stunning those who had applauded already and drawing more applause – from other ANC members listening.

This vignette is telling.  In one scene, it sums up what is happening to South Africa's ruling party.  It is being rent asunder.  But the dissidents, those who are now forming a splinter party, are calling it “the Real ANC” (the RANC and file?!) or the “ANC-Plus”.  Their view is that the ruling party has mutated into something that is too radical and too leftist to recognize as vintage ANC.  They point to the Stalinist purge that has just been inflicted on government, and indeed to the fact that the Party has become more prominent than the Government - a Soviet model, not parliamentary democracy.

The issues being raised are:

●      Resurgence of triblism and xenophobia in South African politics and communities

●      Suppression of dissent

●      Rule of law - public avowals “to kill for Zuma” endorse violence and intimidation

●      Threatening the judiciary

●      Equality before the law – special dispensation for Zuma as party president

●      Desertion of non-racialism in favour of run-away affirmative action

Democratic Choices

The emergence of a splinter party would be a welcome development for Democracy in South Africa.  After all, it is the sheer size of the ruling party's majority that allowed the Mbeki regime to run rough-shod over anyone that got in its way, and more recently the “Zunami” that purged the government, even toppling the state president only months before his term would have come to a natural end.  This precipitated intervention made it clear what the real motive was – to get Zuma off the hook for his legal issues through a “political solution” brought on by vengeance.

South Africa's political landscape is changing fast.  Edmund Burke wrote: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”.

Those who want to protect Democracy and recapture the high moral ground now have a range of options:

OPTION 1: First and foremost there are six or more existing opposition parties.  Two of these - the UDM and the ID – were formed by former ANC cadres who were early dissidents.

OPTION 2: Now that a splinter party is in formation, the government/opposition will no longer be divided along black/white racial lines.  While this may not have been the case in reality, it has certainly been the perception.  The South Africa of today is so different than it used to be.  One key feature is that it now has a sizeable black middle class, sometimes called the “Wabenzi”.  They will be looking for an pary that represents their interests – mainly urban and well-educated.

OPTION 3:  Rev Alan Boesak is bringing back the United Democratic Front (UDF).  This is a broad coalition of actors from civil society, religious organizations, business, trade unions and even political parties that jointly stand against government hegemony.  Originally, the UDF was formed to stand against the Apartheid regime.  After the un-banning of the ANC its cadres were incorporated into the ruling alliance.  But Boesak is now bringing it back to fight the ANC juggernaut.

The reason Boesak is credible is that when caught with his finger in the till, he went to jail and served his time.  Zuma needs to do the same – IF he is found guilty by a court.  There is no way that a “political solution” is an acceptable way to determine his guilt or innocence.  He needs to go to court and clear his name or face the consequences – like Boesak did.

With six months to go before the next election, there is no longer an excuse to be fatalistic.  Democracy is winning.  You do have a choice.

To make sure that Democracy is not sidelined, each one of us needs to get involved.  Voting is still secret, but differences of opinion are now out in the open and there is plenty of room for actisism and involvement.  The silent majority needs to rise up and declare itself.  One way or another, we need to recover what has been misplaced – democratically.  Before it is too late to do so.

Post Script

One scenario is that Zuma bows out and that the ANC convenes a real leadership convention.  The names Mattews Phosa and Tokyo Sexwale still come to mind as possible contenders.  Cyril Rhamaphosa's name used to be mentioned too, but one can only wonder if the silence suggests that the dissidents might invite him to be their candidate for President.  More than anyone, he seems to personify a contender who could represent the interests of the “Wabenzi”.  This would only increase the choices and the sense that parties and government are accountable, ultimately, to citizens.  These are not mere spectators, they are the ones who “own” Democracy.  Demos means the people.  They reign, not a party or government.