Get out of office, Helen Zille, and let the process take place

By Rudzani Floyd Musekwa

South Africa, bless her; she’s got so much sense of humour. No wonder the likes of Pieter Dirk Uys and Trevor Noah call her home. No day is ever like the last one. Different, all the time. If it’s not hot former model Jessica Leandra dos Santos and some perverted black dude at a spar then it’s the likes of Nceba Faku talking about race and racism. Like really now. And who can forget the former number one, Frederick Willem de Klerk’s now infamous stance on apartheid with Christiane Amanpour?

Anyways, enough about the former model, de Klerk or the dude who once wanted The Herald to go into smoke. The week’s most important story (just until tomorrow, or before end of day anyway) is the furore between Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and the findings by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. The hated Madonsela, according to a mainstream Sunday paper found that Helen Zille’s DA and advertising agency TBWA Hunt Lascaris had been involved in some dodgy (at least legally) awarding of a communications tender. When it initially came out that there may be some irregularities the former Mayor of Cape Town said that she’d vacate office if there was something untoward about the awarding of such a tender.

That was a very brave statement by the hoarse voiced leader of the official opposition party, and very honourable at it. Then, Zille epitomised everything that this country needs from the powerful: brave leaders who stand for what’s good and against everything that’s detestable. What’s surprising however is Zille’s about turn and the futile defence as to what the facts really are, but unfortunately the Public Protector’s provisional report is damning. Now this is hypocritical in the worst form because Zille and most in her party are usually the first to condemn those in power whose integrity is in question. The first thing that Zille would have said had it been a member of the ruling party in this case would have been that the said member step out of office until the matter is finalised.

What is so difficult for Zille to do the same in this instance? Is it only wrong when the dirt is coming from the other side of the fence and not where the Premier is? I am not in any way saying that Zille must vacate office for good, but at least until this matter has been put to rest. Come on madam Zille, do the right thing and see how respectful we’ll still remain. After all you are the one who advocates for exactly that, am I wrong? Mrs Zille is an incredible leader that our maturing democracy needs her from where she is, but having said that we also need her to lead by example and not in any way to contradict herself. She said something with the cameras clicking to millions of South Africans, and now she must do as she promised.

She was applauded for that, and now it’s time to act and get the second applause. Zille will be the first to know that this gives the ruling party an opportunity to call her all sorts of names from liar to hypocrite, and who can blame them when it was on record what the Premier said about this very matter? The last thing the Premier needs to do is give the ruling party any ammunition against her where matters like these are concerned. The Premier is already under fire from the statements she has made about this province’s children who go seeking education in the Western Cape, and that means that the majority of the voters are basically watching her every move and action. Zille has got a lot to lose from this uncertainty than she has to gain. The more defensive she becomes the more it will look like indeed there’s something to hide. Zille must simply step out of her office; cooperate with the public protector as she clears her name.

I and the rest of South Africa will have the greatest respect for her if only she did the most honourable thing and stepped down, If only for the whole dark cloud hanging over her party’s integrity to be cleared.

Musekwa is a freelance writer based in Grahamstown. He writes in his personal capacity. He is a regular voter but has never been a member of any political party (yet

Finally we have a senior black journalist we can trust not to be a token

I must say that I am very happy for the decision taken by the Independent Group of newspapers to appoint such a hard working and intelligent journalist. Makhudu Sefara has basically done it all, and while other media groups that claim to be very transformed are busy recruiting people who will listen and do as they say in editorial positions, the Independent Group took in a young and hardworking black journalist who surely had nothing to prove anymore as a reporter.

Today we lack good and journalistically aggressive black journalists because a few good ones are ready and willing to be spokespeople to their white masters, and I am glad Makhudu avoided that in taking up such a challenging position at the Independent Group. As a black journalism student in South Africa I have always wanted to see change in South African journalism, especially change torwards black people in terms of being in positions of influence in journalism.

Finally my prayer has been heard as a role model has been made an Editor-In-Chief of such a great paper as the Sunday Independent, and that makes me and others like me want to work even harder knowing that it is possible out there. Unfortunately SA journalism, just like business, is still very white-male-owned, and most blacks who seem to work within the media campanies that are still so white seem to be comfortable in token roles.

Hating the striking, not the strikers

I experienced the effects of strike for the first time today. As students sometimes we get to see things from a rather safe distance, but not this time. I am a senior at one of our esteemed academic institutions, and a few days ago I heard about a possible strike by those who cook wonderful but predictable meals for us at our wonderful campus.

Curious, I even asked one gentleman if the rumour could be linked to truth. "I don't know man, mina I'm just a pantsula," he said in his Xonglish, a mixture of IsiXhosa and that of the queen's tongue. So this morning (Monday) I woke up thinking wow, at least the town's going to be clean and therefore one's not that in danger of opportunistic diseases caused by an unclean environment.

Okay, that was fine as the municipal workers were now cleaning up the wonderful little city that I live in. Meals time, off I went to the dining hall (a place to chill with the peers, and talk about almost everything but education). And it's also a hunting ground for those of us in the world of freelance dating (evil smile).

"Wow," I thought as I looked at a very long queue. That was not what I'm used to since I resumed my meals here since the beginning of the year, but today was different as the wonderful people we hardly give notice to when our stomachs are full had gone on strike, in short, they are strikers (I can see Joel Santana going "wow, why does everyone seem to hate strikers when I so desperately need them?).

Well, as I sit before this computer I am not hungry, but I just miss what those wonderful people cooked for me, for us. We were like their children as they cooked for us on a daily basis without fail, and there we were today, looking all frail and pathetic. I don't know how many times I heard different people say "argh, this food is gross."

I realised today that as people we all need to be paid what we deserve, or at least be well recognised by those we work for. Now I'm left wondering who'll come next to join our "clinical finishers" (strikers). The government and the private sector should realise that recession hits not only at the top, but the ground too. Now I'm hungry, but I'll strike with those who need justice anytime, and by that I also mean those whose wonderful cookings I so missed today.

This opinion was first published by the Cape Times

Is Julius Malema the second Commander-In-Chief? I wonder

Call me ignorant, or coconutty, as some have since decided to call me since I say 'bad things' about 'our leaders. But tell me, or may I say, enlighten me here. Is Julius Malema the deputy president to our prez, JG Zuma? I wonder really.

The young and easily incitable dude from Limpopo is seen with Zuma on a daily basis, something that makes me want to arrive to my next question as to when does he ever 'think' about us, the youth of South Africa.

During the June 16 celebrations that were held at a place that I was too ignorant to know where it was (possibly Soweto) a man arrived on stage and said something to do with how nobody can unsit Zuma. Now please! Aren't we over such unfortunate comments since Zuma is comfortably in power?

Don't we have better things to talk about than keep on campaigning for a man who is already in power, and on such an important day for the youth? We have crime, disease, corruption, poverty, education, unemployment, all things that need our urgent attention, but a man, older than 33, is still campaigning when actually we have a newly elected government, the one of his choice nogal.

As I listened to a recent interview between a popular talk show host interviewing one Teddy Fletcher (the young entrepreneur who came with an idea of a college that would help the youth of South Africa, particularly those from disadvantaged communities) a chance to unleash their potential I stopped looking at government, or any institution for that matter, as the alpha and omega of the development of this country.

Fletcher believes that every living individual has the ability to make a change for the betterment of their country and ultimately themselves. He further argued that there is no one government in the world that can do everything for everyone, not even rich governments like the USA or Britain. He said that for us to contribute to the positive change of this country we need to invest our precious times in giving back to our communities through teaching the children, the next generations, how to further contribute to their country or communities.

It's high time we realized that the government can only do so much. Even the government that will come after Jacob Zuma will have serious issues to deal with before anything was really done to a majority of people. Let's take a stand as South Africans and believe that yes we can do a lot for our country, yes we can meet our government halfway, or else we shall meet a few years later and just have presidents just reproducing what others before them have said during such meetings as the one Zuma was part of today, that the youth must take charge, or such cliches.

The original was first published by the Cape Times

Any new voice welcome, By Rudzani Floyd Musekwa

New National Party South Africa? Whoa? Yes, that was exactly my response amid the news that that party would be re-launching in November this year (2008). Even though I was taken aback by the news, unlike former NNP leader, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, I didn't find the news to be a joke, hence I am engaging in the matter through this platform.

As a young South African I actually find it very interesting a development that such is happening, or about to happen in our new South Africa with a maturing democracy. It is very unfortunate that in a country of almost 47 million people the official opposition is a good distance away from the ruling party when it comes to voting support. I have said it before in this space and elsewhere that it is very dangerous to have such an unhealthy state of politics where people vote historically, and not based on the performance of their organisations of choice.

In South Africa people still vote based on the colour of their skin where black people still favour black led organisations, and white people on white led organisations, and that, unfortunately, is a historic fact. Most voters, particularly black voters, do not vote based on what their party of choice is doing or has done for them, but rather they vote just to keep that party in power and hope for the best. A dangerous fact.

Just like playing in a team with a big name star, pass him the ball and wish him luck, it doesn't matter if the said athlete is fit or not fit, and usually the said individual will start to show arrogance by only pitching for training and matches only when, or if he wishes because he is guaranteed a place anyway, so why bother?

The ANC is practising such behaviour towards the people who vote for them because they (the ANC) are comfortable where they are. After all, didn't its current President once say that his party will rule until Jesus comes back?

The re-launching of the NNP SA will be talked about in the coming days, and good debates are most welcome in democratic states, right? Some people are going to criticise the party along racial lines before even making an effort to know what the party really stands for, while some are going to judge it on the failures made by the original NP, and its predecessor, the Marthinus van Schalkwyk led NNP.

While the ANC might make jokes of the NNP SA, there is one party that should really feel threatened by this new development, and that is the Democratic Alliance (DA). It takes no rocket science to know that DA currently enjoys a wide white following, particularly in major cities, and for the NNP SA to succeed they will need, first, to convince white South Africans of its intentions, historic voting as I mentioned earlier on. Only if South Africans voted based on what their party of choice was doing for them, than simply on blinded loyalty will we be in a real democratic state, sound democracy to be precise. There has been much talk lately about an alternative political party that will represent South Africa as a whole. Well, sexy idea, just like a teenager telling his sweetheart they will buy them a Range Rover when they can't even afford a packet of chips.

One of those things that are easier said than actually done. The good thing about the reformation such as the NNP SA is that it shows that there are South Africans who feel unrepresented in parliament, and they want their voices to be heard as well. And to me that is exactly what South Africa needs right now, different voices in pursuit of one common goal, a better South Africa for all.

The biggest downfall of the NNP SA, however, will be if it became a party for a few, by that I mean a party for a certain racial or tribal group. That will not only be a blunder by that party, but also a step backward to South Africa's efforts of being a united nation. Political Parties like the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Freedom Front Plus are good examples of how isolated a party can be if it tribalised itself.

Such parties are almost non-existent today thanks to such tribal thinking, only their leaders become more and more prominent as they grow weaker. Remember Gatsha Buthelezi? He is one such leader. This may be a crazy thought by a sane person (me), but we need a party without agendas, a party with the interests of South Africa as its standing point. We need the South Africa that will have parties at each other's throats in terms of voters.

Today the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), just like its historic brother, the ANC have two factions, totally divided while the IFP is a Shadow of its former self thanks to Gatsha and his crazy right hand men. South Africa needs a new voice, I am not sure if the NNP SA will be that voice that we so desperately need. Fact is we need it and what form it takes is of no relevance to me and are sure most sane South Africans feel the same way. I wish the NNP SA all of the best if it is for South Africans.

This first appeared in the Cape Times

Once upon a dream

Once upon a dream, By Rudzani Floyd Musekwa


I am not a big dreamer (at night in my sleep, I mean), actually when I do it is about half naked women I usually fantasise about (Girl friend, look away). But recently I had a dream (Nothing of the Martin Luther King Jr sort). Mine was a horrendous one, futuristic to be precise. Jacob Zuma was a president of the country, can't really tell if it was from behind bars, or if he actually occupied an office in the Union Buildings, but he was anyway.

All prisoners were out on presidential pardon, with Shabir Shaik suddenly 'healthy,' smoking cigars straight from Cuba, sipping the most expensive fermented liquids on offer (Babylon waters as we, the rastas, will call them), with beautiful half naked young thangs on sight (the kanga wearing type). NB: I said kanga wearing type, and not kangaroo court, as there is a court by that name, according to young militants.

Thabo Mbeki, he of the 'I am an African fame, was now living in Harare, Zimbabwe. South Africa was now a safe haven for corruptible human beings under the name tag, politicians. Remember the Modise guy who cost Willy Madisha his presidency? He was now a prominent man in the ANC circles, now donating money in orange bags, and groovy times were suddenly here. Animal groups like the one that almost gave Tony Yengeni a tough time were now non-existent as animals were now being killed at an alarming rate as a form of celebration of the better days to come.

The national anthem had been changed to El Presidente's favourite Nguni song of struggle and it was strictly sung by young women wearing only a kanga. There were no longer strikes as the likes of Vavi, Malema, Nzimande, and Phosa were always out of the country accompanying the Prez, and how do I omit Mantashe there. Oh, now I know whether the Prez was in orange uniform or not.

In the media front, the Bulgarian intellectual aka Snuki Zikalala was now the official Group Chief Executive of the so called public broadcaster. He had just been sworn in with Julius Malema as the guest of honour. All news by the public broadcaster was now in Nguni languages, particularly the one widely spoken in the Kwazulu Natal Province of king Shaka. It was 2009, towards the 2010 FIFA World cup, and there were serious talks over the naming, and renaming of soccer stadiums, with the FNB, the biggest stadium that will host the first and the last game of the world cup about to change its name to Julius Malema stadium, a development young Jules was not very happy about as he fencied an airport to be named after him at least, the Cape Town international as his personal favourite, but the Prez had other ideas for his Jules, lucky moron, I thought as my dream proceeded.

Judge President Pius Langa had now made way for the honourable John ''the wine maker'' Hlophe. The scorpions were now a thing of the past. The high courts were such low key that their only function was that of dealing with those who were pushing for Zuma to be tried, very few since most of them were now living in foreign countries like Botswana and Mauritius. And by the way, the former youth league president, Fikile Mbalula, was now an honorary Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, an effort by the organisation of comrades to transform the institution that housed such house hold Afrikaans names like D.H Malan amongst its most prominent ''studente.''

Fraud, corruption, 'killing,'' was not as punishable as criticising Malema in a daily newspaper was. Blatant corruption at municipal level was the order of the day, and was regarded as an understandable error by a comrade. Villages had no reliable water supplies, nothing new there. More and more educated people were moving abroad, with Australia as the most likely destination, and a few extremists even went to countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, and my family was reiterating a move to Cambodia, grand pa's wish for his 90th.

Now my sleep was becoming really uncomfortable, and I woke up, dripping in sweat. Now, looking at that dream, all those things are possible looking at how much of a cult hero Zuma has become. Dictators, as a former professor of mine once said ''are the most likely to become cult heroes because of the fears people around them have, Zuma is a cult hero, only of a certain kind. It doesn't matter what they do, to their supporters they are always right.

Dangerous.

Mugabe, anyone? What is currently happening in Pietermaritzburg is a shame, prominent politicians dancing and making those crazy statements about ''the president of the ANC.'' We have reached a point as a country were the supposed defenders of the law have become the aggressors of it.

Who could have thought that Matthews Phosa, one of the authors of our potent constitution would stoop to such lows? What of Gwede Mantashe, a former voice of reason when it came to the most important things affecting our people would go to such lows? Supporting Zuma is one thing, but disrespecting the courts like that should be seen by all as a crime. It seems like we have more criminals trusted with public office than we actually do at our already full prisons. I am officially afraid of where this country is headed. Have we reached a point of no return thanks to the ANC as a commentator once said?

NB: Once upon a dream was written in mid 2008 before Zuma became a President of the Republic of South Africa. You only have to look at what has since happened since then to understand, and to a certain degree, appreciate South Africa. No newspaper published it.