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Comrade Cheryl Carolus once said to me when I was nervous about what the future would give us as we drifted further away from the optimism of 1994: 'Tannie Evita, the ANC will always explore every cul-de-sac before we find the freeway.' Behold the new Kgalema Motlante Boulevard! Taking up where the National Party left off, the NEC of the ANC removed the latest obstacle. Thabo Mbeki was recalled. I remember how we recalled John Vorster by kicking him upstairs to keep him out of jail during the Information Scandal. Then in 1989, we kicked President P.W. Botha into the Wilderness to keep us all out of jail. Then in 1990 F.W. de Klerk kicked open a cell door and let out the terrorist who turned out to be the hope for our future.
Imagine where we would have been today if Nelson Mandela had come out of jail angry? How would you have felt? In jail for 27 years for what you believe in? Away from your children? Your wife goes mad? Nelson Mandela could so easily have come out of jail and spoken like Robert Mugabe. Nelson Mandela could so easily have said: 'To hell with democracy! Take the wealth and kill the whites!' And yes, hundreds upon hundreds of whites could have been killed and no one in the world or on CNN would have looked in our direction. But he didn't say that. None of them said that. Nelson Mandela came out of 27 years in jail with that beautiful smile and said: 'Tannie Evita? Give me another
koeksister!'
And so once again South Africa survives its own brand of coup d'etat. Getting rid of what clogs the sewerage pipes of political progress. But we don't do it with guns and blood, shock and awe. We get rid of our leader with embrace, gratitude and compassion, smiling with flowers in one hand and Tassenberg in the other, pushing them gently to the edge of the cliff and then with a final Amandla/ Vrystaat, dropping them out of the spotlight of power, usually without a legacy to stand on.
The nation is fine. President Kgalema Motlanthe is a man of few press clippings. I have always called him by his third name Petrus. That's the only headache for me. After months of twisting my tongue round Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Nonzizwe Madlala-Routledge, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, I now have
to work on Buyelwa Sonjica, Siyabonga Cwele, Nathi Mthethwao. . . (Hell, we were lucky with Tutu!) They say President Petrus is an interim leader till after the election of 2009. Interim is only a word you use in case you've made a wrong choice. If interim becomes impressive, inspirational and innovative, interim will happily become incumbent. No political party will want to fix something that is not broken. And as for Jacob Zuma? He is always there to remind us that democracy gives everyone a chance to enjoy the shower of acclaim. And also the downpour of disenchantment. Nelson Mandela proved that politicians first go jail and then into politics. Hopefully Jacob Zuma won't want to do it the other way round.
But that's politics. We are the people. In a healthy democracy the people must lead and the government can follow. Our focus must be on the future of our children and our grandchildren. My three grandchildren are my inspiration. They are not white. They are not black. They are a Barack Obama beige. And they demand a future, because they believe democracy will make their dreams come true. Winnie-Jeanne, who is 11 years old, said to me: 'Gogo? Vukuzensele!' I said: 'Sies! Wat is dit?' She said that is Xhosa for 'Grannie, stand up and do something. Don't just sit there moaning and complaining and making white noise like so many others. If there is something about our politics that you don't like, stand up do something! Vukuzinsele!' And so I thought: Yes. I may be an Afrikaans Tannie. I might have supported apartheid for all those years only because I didn't know it was so horrible. Because no one told us. I knew nothing. Even though I am 73 years old today (and am still being impersonated by a third-rate comedian who is ten years younger than me but makes me look older and fatter) - in spite of all the things that should make me sit quietly in a chair and read Huisgenoot or watch Desperate Housewives (in the last week we've been glued to Desperate Comrades!) - I will get involved. I will make sure democracy stays in full working condition in spite of the struggle-tsotsis and political pirates who want to rape our Constitution and then have a shower of celebration after the treasonous act.
The election of 2009 is not just between a ruling, mainly black party and an opposition that is mainly white and coloured. It is not about colour. It is not about power. It is not about cadres and comrades, or Zille, De Lille en hulle. The election is about the future of little Winnie-Jeanne Makoeloeli. Her dreams and her hopes. One child inspired, one child educated, one child saved could save the whole world.
Remember this. In America there was a white woman who had a son. The father was a black man who didn't stay long. This white woman worked and sacrificed so that her small brown boy could be educated and believe that his dream could come true. On 4 November 2008 that dream might become a reality when Barack Obama becomes President of the USA. One child. One dream.
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