Malema a monster in the making

[wynn]

Another thought, maybe we should surround ourselves with Zim refugees as a buffer.

[murdock]

you laugh when you got some time look at the layout of the old suburbs and you will notice the so called white areas are surrounded by indians and coloured areas in durban to buffer us from the balcks during the apprtheid era.

[sgafc]

As a former ANC member, detained for 2months, involved in uprisings myself can I give my humble opinion.

Malema is not a "radical" or miltant person, in the tradition of Chris Hani,Peter Mokaba, Basil February or Anton Fransch. He is an arrogant, miserable little clown.

Malema has never spent time in jail, being tortured, nor has he ever taken on the SANDF on the streets. Even our former respected finance minister, Trevor Manuel, lead protest marches, and spent more than a year in jail!

As for the concern that he is exploiting frustrations, the masses are frustrated with HIM and the government, not whites.

The moderate leadership of the ANC that I remember, Cyril Ramaphosa, Mohammed Valli,Trevor Manuel, Terror Lekota, Popo Molefe, Raymond Sutner, the late Beyers Naude, and off course Nelson Mandela, has been supplanted by something sick. A crass materialistic class

[wynn]

Sean, you keep us in line when we get a little nervous, thanks for that.

[murdock]

the present goverment used violent protests and killed inocent people to achieve their goal?

now suddenly the goverment who cannot live up to their promises are saying that you dont need to use violent protests to achieve service delivery?

i must remeber that when i tell my kids not to drink while slurring and falling all over the place drunk.

[IanF]

Open Society

Slightly off topic.
I heard Godzille on 702 the other day and she talked about the DA vision of the Open Society. I found the link to it. Here is the crux.

There are five key components of an open society:
• A constitution that enshrines the rule of law, individual rights and freedoms and
the separation of powers
• Transparency and accountability, without which governments abuse their power
and compromise the freedoms enshrined in the constitution.
• Security of person and property
• An independent and free-thinking civil society, including a free and independent
media and a free and independent political opposition that is loyal to the
constitutional order
• A general tolerance of difference on the part of the population
• An economy that is characterized primarily by the free choices of individuals
The two key ideas that unite these five components are the related ideas of individual
freedom and the limitation of state power.

The reason I posted this here is I think Julius is being used as a distraction to take the focus off the current shortcomings of the ANC. With this I hope the DA has moved on from being a whining party to one who does have a vision for a better SA. I like the current moves they are making with an example of limiting MEC's cars to around 500k value.

Even more off topic I recently read Ayn Rand's Atlas shrugged. While it seemed simplistic the message the wikipedia article gives a synopsis of the book. What struck me was once politicians and their cohorts dug themselves into a hole they carried on digging instead of filling it. I feel this is where ANC is taking us. Instead of a bit of humility and doing the right things. If you read the book then what is happening in Venezuela hits you between the eyes.
So in short we should look beyond the Julius distraction and hope we don't become another African basket case.
We get the government we deserve. (I think Voltaire said something like this)

[murdock]

until goverment members realises that they are "CIVIL SERVANTS" and not kings and queens who need to live in the same area where they are councillors and get paid accordingly and drive vehicles which dont make them stand out and look like they are members of the millionare clubs...maybe the masses will see that everyone is benefiting from the so called "STRUGGLE" and not just the strugglers.

[murdock]

just something else i would like to mention about being detained...i asked why certain people could walk around and got to eat better food than some of us...i was told it was because they were political prisoners we were just classed as common criminals...shame it must have been hell for them

[Dave A]

Food for thought there, Ian. Particularly in light of this latest development:

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema has been muzzled - on the same day that another youth movement threatened to kill him.

If Malema is caught singing Dubula ibhunu (Kill the boer), he could be arrested and charged with inciting murder.

Yesterday, in a landmark ruling slated by the ANC, Acting Johannesburg High Court Judge Leon Halgryn declared the singing and publication of the song "unconstitutional and unlawful" and said any person found in violation of the court order could face charges of incitement to murder.

And, after Malema claimed Sharpeville had been hijacked by the Pan Africanist Congress on the 50th anniversary of the massacre, the PAC Youth Congress told Malema to apologise or end up "in a hospital or a mortuary".
full story from IOL here

Unsurprsingly the ANC isn't happy with the ruling and intends to appeal. This is their view on the song:

Earlier this month, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe cautioned against "systematically erasing history", and said the interpretation of the song had been "vulgarised".

"It's an old struggle song. Anybody who relegates it into hate speech today ... I will regard that as a serious attempt to erase our history. If you try to erase the history through courts, that would be unfortunate to the country."
full story from M&G here

I credit Gwede as being a fairly deep thinker, but in this it is clear he is not being objective. How does Gwede feel about the old South African flag, or Die Stem, or any other number of symbols of the other side of "the struggle"?

[AndyD]

To me the stance of the ANC on the 'Kill the Boer' issue is symptomatic of a political party that looks solely at history for its identity and uses this as justification for its own present day corruption, shortcomings and lack of achievement.

[twinscythe12332]

To me the stance of the ANC on the 'Kill the Boer' issue is symptomatic of a political party that looks solely at history for its identity and uses this as justification for its own present day corruption, shortcomings and lack of achievement.

they have no reason to exist, other than that history. They're certainly not in the position they are now because they're adept at the work.

[Butch Hannan]

Slightly off topic.
I heard Godzille on 702 the other day and she talked about the DA vision of the Open Society. I found the link to it. Here is the crux.

The reason I posted this here is I think Julius is being used as a distraction to take the focus off the current shortcomings of the ANC. With this I hope the DA has moved on from being a whining party to one who does have a vision for a better SA. I like the current moves they are making with an example of limiting MEC's cars to around 500k value.

Even more off topic I recently read Ayn Rand's Atlas shrugged. While it seemed simplistic the message the wikipedia article gives a synopsis of the book. What struck me was once politicians and their cohorts dug themselves into a hole they carried on digging instead of filling it. I feel this is where ANC is taking us. Instead of a bit of humility and doing the right things. If you read the book then what is happening in Venezuela hits you between the eyes.
So in short we should look beyond the Julius distraction and hope we don't become another African basket case.
We get the government we deserve. (I think Voltaire said something like this)

Hi Ian,
What is said in the quote would be a wonderful blueprint for our South African society to try to achieve and attain. There is one little word that is sadly lacking in the make up of our public figures, our civil servants and politicians. The word is accountability. They really need to be aware of the consequences of their actions or non actions.
I have written a tongue in cheek piece called "Contract For Politicians" which you can see on my website. I have also written another piece called "Africa Is Bleeding" which in this context is worth a read.
South African society has to find a away of making the people in power accountable to all the citizens of our country.
Butch Hannan

[IanF]

Hi Ian,
What is said in the quote would be a wonderful blueprint for our South African society to try to achieve and attain. There is one little word that is sadly lacking in the make up of our public figures, our civil servants and politicians. The word is accountability.

Butch the second bullet point covers this "Transparency and accountability, without which governments abuse their power and compromise the freedoms enshrined in the constitution."
What type of political party would convince the majority of the voters to vote the ANC out of power? That is the conundrum. My thoughts are maybe COSATU as they are are making the most sense out of the ANC alliance partners. A labour party in SA?

[AndyD]

The thing is that if the ANC are falling so far short of their promises, corruption is endemic and yet they still have such high support of the people, does this put then in the category of being a religion rather than a political party?

If so wouldn't this mean the Julius Malema is a prophet rather than just a politician?

[Dave A]

does this put then in the category of being a religion rather than a political party?

A cult, perhaps?