South Africa: Democracy wins

There has been a huge amount of controversy surrounding the change of leadership at the ANC conference last December. The party was effectively split into two camps. The Jacob Zuma camp won all the key posts in the organisation. The new president of the ANC Youth League is one Julius Malema. Lacking education and refinement, be has become the personification of the new leadership. He has promised to "kill for Zuma" and "eliminate the counter-revolutionary forces". The counter revolutionaries include the judiciary, the constitutional court judges and anyone that does not support Jacob Zuma.

One of the main objectives of this new leadership is to keep Jacob Zuma and the corruption allegations away from the courts. They want to find a "political solution".

The ousted ANC establishment remained silent for a few months. Then Lekota spoke out. He wrote an open letter to the ANC pointing out issues regarding long established ANC principles and policies. He was shouted down and showered with insults. As a result Mosiuoa Lekota called a press conference. Divorce papers have been served. The formation of a new party loyal to traditional ANC principles appears imminent.

The ANC seems to have been taken by surprise. Overtures have been made to try to keep the dissidents within the fold. But perhaps this is too little, too late. There seems to be a ground-swell of support for the new formation.

The ANC currently hold a 2/3 majority in parliament. The new leadership have been confident of maintaining and even increasing this majority. The new leadership's belief that the ANC could not lose promoted an excess of confidence and arrogance.

If the breakaway party goes ahead, then the next election should usher in a new era in democratic South Africa. This future will be one where the ruling party has at most a reduced majority. There is even a possibility that no party will hold an absolute majority.

To date, the opposition parties have had little impact. The Democratic Alliance is seen as a white party. The breakaway could change all of that.

This is good for democracy and provides renewed hope for the future of South Africa.

When no news is not good news - the growing crisis in Zimbabwe

Nearly four weeks after the Zimbabwean election, there is still no sign of an announcement of the winner of the presidential vote. The so-called recount of 23 constituencies carries on, but without any controls that could verify that the recount was actually more accurate than the original count. Mugabe and the ruling Zanu PF retain control of the country and have begun a campaign of violence and intimidation against those suspected of having voted for the MDC.
By now, there can hardly be a right-thinking person that doubts that the MDC won the election or that Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential vote. There is no other possible explanation for the month-long delay in announcing the results.
Mugabe’s police, the military and the band of thugs better known as ‘war veterans’ have been let loose to intimidate, murder and torture anyone suspected of having voted for the wrong party. Riot police have been sent into the MDC headquarters and detained dozens of MDC supporters.
The only good news is that China have recalled the arms ship on its way to Zimbabwe.
The west have spoken out against Mugabe’s attempts to steal this election. But South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki prefers to continue with his quiet diplomacy. He has continued to take a stand that denies the crisis. He refuses to make a public statement that condemns Mugabe or even one that calls for the immediate release of the presidential vote. He has called for patience while we wait for the election results to be released. Patience while MDC supporters are being beaten and driven from their homes. Patience as thousands of Zimbabweans risk their lives daily crossing through crocodile infested waters to reach South Africa as economic and political refugees.
The time for patience has passed. Decisive action is required by the world to force Mugabe to step down and to allow democracy to take its course. It is time for Zimbabwe’s friends and neighbours take a stand. Appeasement of a dictator never achieved anything in the past. It will not achieve anything now.
Hot off the press is that SADC have warned that it expects the poll result to be announced by Saturday (26 April) and will not tolerate any further delays. Perhaps we have some progress …

Hope dims for Zimbabweans in South Africa

This morning I spoke to one of the millions of Zimbabweans in South Africa. “We were hoping that we would be able to go home soon” she said. “Now it doesn’t look so good.”

She has been living in South Africa for about ten years working as a maid. Over the years, all the goods that she has accumulated have been sent back ‘home’ to Zimbabwe in preparation for the day that sanity would return to the country.

Wherever you go in South Africa you will find Zimbabweans. Unable to live in their home country, they live in South Africa – usually as illegal immigrants – working as maids, gardeners, labourers, security guards or waiters or waitresses. Whatever they accumulate is sent home. In reality, most of these people are refugees. Many have risked their lives crossing the border to South Africa.

This election brought great hope to the Zimbabwean community in South Africa. With a new government, life in Zimbabwe could be turned around. With the possibility of earning a living back home, many would return.

Now, with Mugabe holding on tightly the optimism has faded. An election win isn’t enough. The presidential run-off is likely to be rigged. The international community are committed to helping the new government – but only once Mugabe goes. Is there still hope for Zimbabwe?

Freedom

Watching the BBC Panorama special - "No More Mandela's" took me back to 1979 - when I returned to South Africa from the UK.

I had become accustomed to UK reporters' tough questioning of politicians (and any-one else for that matter). Fearlessly, hard-hitting questions were fired at anyone from the Prime Minister to the Chancellor, to the US President.

Back in South Africa, I watched in amazement as the SATV interviewer bowed his head while deferentially asking pre-arranged questions of the then prime minister - PW Botha. The questions were specially designed to show us only a positive view of the regime. There was only one view of the world. The view of the Nationalist Party Government.

Life in South Africa in those days was quite shallow. Immersed only in pop-culture, there was no discussion of politics. The government did as it pleased, led the country to economic disaster but was re-elected by the brain-washed minority.

Corruption by high government ministers was also rife then. The problem was that reporting it carried a risk for the newspapers and reporters. The Information scandal was followed by tougher legislation - to prevent such information reaching us again.

Censorship was rife. Everything – books, films, music - were subjected to the draconian arm of the censorship board. I saw an age 21 restricted film in the UK. In South Africa, the film was approved for all ages. However, it had become very difficult to follow.

By some miracle, we managed a peaceful transition. A transition that took us from totalitarianism to democracy and freedom. The new government has made more than its fair share of mistakes. Mistakes that have cost the country dearly. But at least the press are free to report on them. The President of the ruling party can be charged with corruption. The Chief of police can be charged.

There are many that are disenchanted with life in the New South Africa. Crime levels are high. We are facing an electricity crisis. But we are free to criticize, to make our voices heard.

Freedom isn’t just another word for nothing left to lose.