Wie glo die ANC?

Pollux

Rapport, 25 Maart 2012

Tshepo Makhubela skryf in The New Age: “Teen die koers wat die ANC leë beloftes maak oor werk, tolpaaie en teen die agtergrond van die talle binnegevegte sal al sy nagmerries binnekort waar word. Die middelklas het al geloof in die ANC verloor; nou is dit slegs die armes wat die party volg omdat hulle eintlik nie baie het om in te glo nie.” Eina!

Farcical council meeting

Cindy Liebenberg

Our Times, 7 March 2012

THERE is simply no better way to describe last week’s special council meeting than a comedy of errors. It was supposed to have started at 11:00 but began 15 minutes late with everyone congenially greeting each other and even this reporter was bestowed with heartfelt handshakes.

The fun began when before the speaker, Magdalene Dlomo, even had a chance to open the meeting, DA councillor Dave Aldendorff jumped up and questioned why the meeting was not advertised.

After berating him for trying to disrupt the meeting before it could be opened, Dlomo asked councillor Earl Hill to open proceedings with prayer.

Hardly had he uttered “amen” when DA councillor Nico Botha demanded to know, on a point of order and according to the Municipal Act, how the meeting could proceed without it having been advertised. Not to be outdone, ANC councillor Vernon Stuurman immediately retaliated by calling for a five-minute recess to enable them to caucus.

The five minutes, of course, turned into 35 minutes. By now it was almost noon. Eventually the ANC emerged from the caucus room and without further ado, the meeting commenced, or so we thought, because for the next 45 minutes there was a presentation by Altech Netstar on how much good the company could do for the municipality, should their tracking devices be installed in all the municipal vehicles.

Although it was rather entertaining with a very eloquent area manager delivering his spiel with humorous anecdotes, it was to no avail as he was told to contact the municipal manager.

The question is why waste all that precious time? Fruitless!

Needless to say, while all this was happening the councillors became hungry and packets of sweets were passed around.

Then a councillor’s cellphone rang, and after a lengthy conversation, it turned out the caller wanted a word with municipal manager Sidney Fadi as well. So the phone was passed across to where he sits in a prime spot – as his position dictates – facing the chamber.

The meeting eventually got under way two hours later, only to be wrapped up within 30 minutes!

It is astonishing that the actual issues and the main reason for the meeting should take but a fraction of the time spent on shenanigans.

Dlomo, while berating the DA councillors, reminded all present that they (the councillors) are “the chosen first citizens entrusted by the people” and as such, although they do not always see eye to eye, should stop playing petty party politics and start serving the community.

As the speaker of Cacadu, Deon de Vos, was present, I do believe this was said for his benefit. I wonder what he made of our council’s jesting on the day?

Analysis: Malema's last arrow in the quiver

Sipho Hlongwane

Daily Maverick, 4 March 2012

So Julius Malema has been booted out of the ANC outright. And that should be that. But he has one lifeline yet, thanks to the mothership’s unending love affair with process – he can try to influence enough delegates at the elective conference at Mangaung to have the verdict against him reviewed, and possibly overturned. But this strategy requires patience and cunning, which may just be a bridge too far for the young, brash Juju.

We’ve often said former ANC Youth League president Julius Malema is a lot smarter than the press and the chatteratti have given him credit for. You honestly cannot have so many South Africans in a froth for four long years if you don’t have more brain cells than would cover a small biscuit rattling about in your cranium. You can’t manage to become the single focal point for millions of disaffected young people and you certainly can’t run an organisation as big and as awkward as the ANC Youth League if you don’t know what you’re doing. So no, Malema isn’t dumb. Click here to read more.

The President’s woes

Isaac Mahlangu
Sunday Times LIVE, 18 February, 2012

From losing court cases to embarrassing appointments that were later overturned, here is a summary of some of his [President Zuma’s] recent woes:

October 2011: Judge Willem van der Merwe withdraws from the arms deal commission set up by Zuma, citing personal reasons. Judge Van der Merwe is the judge who acquitted Zuma on rape charges in 2006.

October 2011: A board of inquiry into suspended police boss Bheki Cele is also forced to be reshuffled. Judge Jake Moloi takes over from Judge Yvonne Mokgoro, who recused herself after it emerged she serves on the police service trust fund.

December 2011: The Supreme Court of Appeal rules that Zuma acted "irrationally" in appointing prosecutions chief Menzi Simelane. The SCA pronounces his appointment unconstitutional and invalid.

December 2011: Musical chairs within the NPA continues as Zuma appoints Advocate Nomgcobo Jiba as acting head of the Special Investigating Unit. Two weeks later, Zuma appoints Advocate Nomvula Mokhatla to this position. Jiba is moved to head the NPA.

December 2011: Zuma's former legal adviser Willem Heath resigns two weeks after taking the job as head of the SIU. Questions are raised over his appointment and Heath follows up with controversial statements about former president Thabo Mbeki.

February 2012: The corruption allegation against Zuma refuses to go away three years after the probe into him was dropped. The DA goes to the appeal to argue it has legal grounds to ask for a review of the decision in 2009 by the then acting national director of public prosecutions, Mokotedi Mpshe, to withdraw the charges. Click here to read more.

In OUR future you won't look twice

Justin Foxton

The Natal Mercury, 8 February 2012

Much has been written about the controversial DA Student Organisations poster campaign featuring a mixed race couple in a naked embrace.

However more interesting than the imagery was the strapline; "In our future you wouldn’t look twice". It seems to beg the question; what else can we expect to see in a future South Africa ruled by the Democratic Alliance?

If this campaign is a once off, then it will have done more harm than good, for if it stops here – having caused such a stir – it will entrench an image of the DA as a one trick pony concerned only with race. This is not to suggest that we don’t need campaigns that work to break down racial barriers and stereotypes. It’s just that the majority of the electorate – burnt and disillusioned - is going to need much more than this if they are going to vote at all let alone for the DA. So Ms Zille, Ms Mazibuko and others, here are some ideas for a follow up to this campaign that might do the trick.

How about a TV ad in which a secret camera reveals a politician turning down a bribe from a local businessman with the strap line; "In our future you wouldn’t look twice".

And what about a poster showing a peaceful street with clean grassy verges, children out riding bikes, parents (of all hues) chatting happily with one another and a conspicuous lack of razor wire, high walls and alarm beams.

I dare the DA - and indeed all other political parties - to make some really big promises that are more than skin deep. I dare us to ignore them and create the future of this country ourselves. Click here to read more.

Mense verander in die politiek

Rhoda Kadalie
Die Burger, 6 Desember 2011

Ek word dikwels gevra hoekom ek dit nie oorweeg om die politiek te betree nie. My reaksie is dat ek gesien het hoe die politiek te veel van my vriende vernietig. Mense wat voor 1994 heel aangenaam was, het arrogant, verwaand, eiegeregtig en narsisties geword. Politici oor die spektrum heen, met enkele uitsonderings, is ’n aaklige klomp.

Die ANC het talle mense vernietig wat vandag in ’n senior pos moes gedien het om rigting en leiding aan jong mense te gee. Pleks daarvan regeer jong, onervare, onopgeleide en onbekwame mense. En hul rolmodelle in die top-poste in die regering en die regbank was skelms.

Dié wurggreep van straffeloosheid in die heiligdom van die wetgewer moet vernietig word. Lees verder ...

Die ANC voltrek sy kreeftegang

Dawie
Die Burger, 3 Desember 2011

Dit is tragies om te sien hoe ’n groot en magtige beweging stadig maar onstuitbaar in die rigting van ’n afgrond beweeg en terselfdertyd deur sy geestelike en intellektuele verlamming nie in staat is om óm te draai nie.

Dit het met die ou Nasionale Party gebeur. Dit gebeur tans met die ANC. Lees verder ...

Suid-Afrika ly onder interne stryd in ANC

Hoofartikel, Beeld, 29 November 2011

Eers moes “een man, een stem” plek maak vir “ ’n beter lewer vir almal”. Nou, 17 jaar later, is dit net “die party bo alles” wat oorbly.

Dít is die verhaal van die ANC se onvermoë om suksesvol van bevrydingsbeweging na regerende party oor te skakel.

Die agterdog, paranoia en binnegevegte in die party het ’n nuwe laagtepunt bereik met die uitsprake van mnr. Gwede Mantashe, sekretaris-generaal, vroeër die week ná ’n vergadering van dié party se nasionale uitvoerende komitee (NUK).

Mantashe het sy mes ingehad vir “geheime agente” in die ANC wat inligting aan joernaliste lek. Lees verder ...

Beset onderwyskantore oor swak skole – Jansen

Pieter Steyn

Beeld, 20 November 2011

"’n Mens hoef net by ’n staatshospitaal, ’n swak skool of by die departement van binnelandse sake in te stap om te sien die regering het ’n ‘f** jou’- houding teenoor die mense.”

Só het prof. Jonathan Jansen, rektor van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat, eergister op die jaarvergadering van die federasie van beheerliggame van Suid-Afrikaanse skole (Fedsas) gesê.

Jansen het te velde getrek teen die regering se traak-my-nie-agtige houding teenoor die mense van die land.

“Ons moet, soos die Beset Wall Street-veldtog, die kantore van die onderwysdepartement in elke provinsie gaan beset,” het Jansen gesê.

Hy het veral mnr. Trevor Manuel, beplanningsminister, bygekom en gesê onderwys het genoeg beleide, maar werkbare planne ontbreek. Lees verder ...

ANC-onderrok oor korrupsie hang sleg uit

Hoofartikel
Beeld, 17 November 2011

Dit sou makliker wees om die ANC en die regering se vrome woorde oor die hokslaan van korrupsie ernstig op te neem as daar sterker optrede teen korrupsie in hul eie geledere was.

Enigeen wat soms wil moed skep, hoef maar net te kyk na wat Woensdag in die parlement gebeur het om te weet korrupsie het al in so ’n mate met die ANC sinoniem geword dat die eertydse vryheidsbeweging daarvan vrot is tot by die stingel.

Dit is niks anders nie as ’n volslae skande dat die ANC-meerderheid in die parlement se gesamentlike komitee oor etiek en ledebelange die geledere so sterk gesluit het om die ANC-LP me. Yolanda Botha.

Die komitee het bevind sy is korrup, dat sy en haar ouditeurs skaamteloos daaroor gelieg het en dat sy geen berou getoon het nie. Tot so ver die goeie nuus.

Die slegte nuus is dat daardie vrome ANC-LP’s, wat gereeld so hoog opgee teen korrupsie, weier om haar by die polisie en ander relevante owerhede aan te kla. Lees verder ...

When the liberators re-attach shackles of apartheid

Phylicia Oppelt
TimesLIVE, 20 November 2011

I feel shamed and betrayed by the ANC as, 20 years later, censorship again reigns in the SA media.

How can I describe what it feels like this morning - this sense of shame for my nation?

The closest description I can find is to possibly compare it to that cutting loss of faith at the realisation that a religion no longer provides an explanation for the way the world is put together.

This morning, my loss of faith is in my country that seems to have taken a path that I no longer recognise. Read more ...

Trash 'n pay - new bill will put squeeze on unions

Stephen Grootes

Daily Maverick, 18 November 2011

There’s nothing the DA likes better than to find one of its own proposals being debated seriously by government and the ANC. And yes, it’s finally happened. DA MP Ian Ollis (full disclosure: Ollis is an occasional columnist for the Daily Maverick) was cock a hoop on Wednesday. He says that Nedlac (that forum where business, government and labour get together to thrash out complex issues… usually without the prying guise of the media. Probably the reason why it gets some stuff done!) is now considering a proposal that he’s submitted as a Private Members Bill. It would see unions being held legally liable for goods damaged by their members during a strike. Ollis says this submission now has the backing of the Labour department. Read more ...

Politiek seëvier weer eens.

Cindy Liebenberg

Our Times, 18 November 2011

Die regering het onderwysers onlangs verbied om as wykraadslede te dien.

Onderwysers moet kies – dis óf die een óf die ander – want die staat is nie bereid om aan hulle dubbele salarisse te betaal nie.

Hier in die Kouga, en meer spesifiek Wyk 2, is raadslid Earl Hill reeds jare lank ‘n gerespekteerde onderwyser verbonde aan Pellsrus Primêr, asook ‘n bekende in skolerugbykringe.

Hill moes dus kies tussen skoolhou en raadslid wees.

Sou Hill bedank as raadslid, is die dilemma vir die ANC dat hulle die Kouga met slegs een setel in die munisipale verkiesing gewen het. Boonop het die ANC Wyk 2 met minder as 200 stemme verower. ‘n Tussenverkiesing sou dus ‘n groot risiko vir die ANC wees.

Hoe nou gemaak?

Maklik. Jy doen eenvoudig aansoek by die provinsiale raad om die burgemeesterskomitee van vyf na ses lede te vergroot om Hill te akkommodeer en voilà, hy verdien aansienlik meer as in die onderwys en kan aanbly as wykraadslid.

Die onderwys verloor nou wel een van sy knap leerkragte, maar die politiek seëvier en die belastingbetaler moet oudergewoonte hoes.

Cope wil saamwerk met opposisiepartye

Jan-Jan Joubert

Die Burger, 15 November 2011

Mnr. Mosioua Lekota, Cope-leier, het ’n uitnodiging aan alle leiers van opposisiepartye gestuur om ’n beraad by te woon vir groter samewerking teen die ANC.

Teen gisteraand het die DA, UDM en VF+ se leiers by navraag aan Die Burger bevestig hul partye sal verteenwoordig word by die vergadering, wat op 25 November in Kaapstad sal plaasvind.

Elke opposisieparty sal gelyke verteenwoordiging hê, onafhanklik van die party se kiesersteun.

Lekota het gister by Cope se parlementêre kantore die media toegelig oor die planne en het baie tyd afgestaan aan die verkeerde pad waarop die ANC na sy mening is.

Hy meen die ANC is van koers met korrupsie, posisies in die staatsdiens en ’n onvermoë om basiese dienste te lewer, wat beteken die ANC se rol is uitgespeel. Voorts dat geen opposisieparty die ANC op sy eie kan uitdaag nie en die opposisie moet dus saamwerk.

Lees verder ...

Klik hier en hier om toegang tot verwante stories te verkry.

Councillors asked to dedicate more time to service delivery

Michael Sakuneka
Sowetan Live, 11 Nov 2011

COUNCILLORS in the Greater Letaba municipality in Modjadjiskloof have been asked to dedicate two days of their time every week to improving service delivery in communities falling in their wards. Read more ...

KeRataBasadi's comment: "I thought it was their [fulltime] job."

Let the (opposition) party begin, or not

Stephen Grootes
Daily Maverick, 9 November 2011

Confused or not, reality or fiction, the calls for creating a greater body of opposition to the ANC will only gain in strength over time. Sooner or later, that moment will come.

Cope is confused, but you knew that already. One day there's a push for a merger of opposition parties, then a denial. Then there's a push for a coalition of opposition parties. Then a denial. Then on Monday, Cope leader (kind of) Mosouia Lekota wrote a lengthy call in the Business Day for the formation of an alliance to take on the ANC. The denial is no doubt in the post. Lekota used much of the space to simply bash the ANC, but having said that, the discussion around a more united opposition is gaining momentum. It won't be easy, and there are plenty of pitfalls to watch out for. Read more ...

Analysis: Just how liberal is the DA?

Osiame Molefe
Daily Maverick, 8 November 2011

“If we lived in a stable and homogenous society, with a large middle-class and a history that had not been characterised by racial exclusion and dispossession, a classic liberal agenda might suffice. But this is not the case,” wrote the DA’s newly elected parliamentary caucus chairman Wilmot James in a Sunday Times op-ed piece on Sunday.

James emphasised that the liberal agenda in the country needed to take into account context specific to South Africa, and the liberal ideology’s more recent global narrative of social justice and development. His use of “might” also suggests that, even without the country’s specific characteristics, he thinks the classic liberal agenda is an ill fit for South Africa.

Without saying it in as many words, James described the DA as espousing in the main a social liberalism outlook. Just how many within his party agree with him is unknown and, by his own admission, there exist those who would disagree. But James’ view explains in part why the Independent Democrats, social democrats in origin, saw no contradiction in closing up shop and throwing in their lot with the DA.

Some ID members have further suggested that social liberalism, which they say runs deep within the DA’s on-the-ground work, will continue to emerge as the party’s overriding ideology. Read more ...

Also read As Cope, DA in bed spring

As Cope, DA in bed spring

Zelda Jongbloed
nuus24, 7 November 2011

Ek wens soms die leierskorps van Cope wil ophou raai raai riepa met ons almal speel oor die kwessie van samesmelting met die DA.

Vandeesweek weer het dit “uitgelek” mnr. Mosiuoa Lekota, die Cope-leier, het hom in ’n brief ten gunste van aansluiting by die DA uitgespreek, iets wat later deur die party se woordvoerders ontken is.

Terwyl Cope nie heeltemal so kapitalisties soos die DA of so sosialisties soos die ANC is nie, is daar een bindende faktor wat samesmelting met die DA in ’n verenigde opposisie amper ’n gegewe maak. Dit is naamlik die respek wat albei partye vir die absolute oppergesag van die Grondwet het.

Dit sal natuurlik baie slegte nuus vir die regerende ANC wees as ’n saamgesmelte Cope-DA-opposisie met sy geweldige groot potensiaal om kiesers oor alle grense heen te trek, van die grond af kom en voortgaan om die hoogste ideale van demokrasie na te streef. Lees verder ...

‘n Nuwe vorm van protes

Elma Kloppers
Sake24, 6 November 2011

Een van Suid-Afrika se grootste genoteerde eiendomsgroepe het besluit om nie meer in gebiede te belê waar die plaaslike owerhede nie behoorlik funksioneer nie.

Die besluit van Redefine om sterk standpunt in te neem teen die twyfelagtige en swak bestuur van plaaslike owerhede kan vir sulke wanfunksionele munisipaliteite verreikende geldelike implikasies inhou.

Redefine het nie net besluit om nie meer te investeer in gebiede wat swak bestuur word nie, maar ook besluit om nie meer verkrygings in sulke gebiede te doen of verbeterings aan te bring aan eiendomme wat hy reeds in sulke gebiede besit nie.

Dit kan vir die plaaslike owerhede mettertyd ’n verlies van miljarde rande aan munisipale belasting en diensgeld tot gevolg hê.

Prof. Francois Viruly, dosent in eiendomstudie aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad se skool vir konstruksie-ekonomie en -bestuur, sê dat as toestande in Suid-Afrika knellender raak, kan talle eiendomsontwikkelaars hulle tot buite die landsgrense wend vir toekomstige sake. Lees verder ...

Politically connected tenderpreneurs flaunt it

Zenoyise Madikwa

SowetanLIVE, 2 Novomber 2011 

DESPITE high levels of unemployment, financial insecurity and increasing personal debt, there is still a place for lavish weddings in South Africa.

For new money, walking down the aisle is the ultimate excuse to show off the bling. BEE weddings seem to be the latest, grandest of affairs, with media coverage and public interest soaring.

Renowned designers personally oversee made-to-order gowns, top wedding planners are engaged to handle the proceedings and venues prohibitively expensive to the general public are fair game for the famous.

Andile Mngxitama, a social commentator and activist, said these bling weddings were "spitting in the faces of the poor".

He said most of the people hosting these flash weddings were politically connected tenderpreneurs.

"This rising wasteful elite with shocking amounts of wealth are sending a wrong message to the poor that you don't have to work hard - but you can be politically connected to be rich," he said. Read more ...