By Lucky Ntuli
As South Africans, it is exhausting and frustrating to have to explain time and time again the behaviour of our politicians. In this particular case having to explain the childish, nonsensical, never amusing and utterly embarrassing Julius Malema. Now, I do not know the “man” nor do I want to. I do however want to take him and the ANC leadership, from the NEC to the ANC Youth league, to task.
It is striking to me, and I am sure to many of my country men, that perhaps we are witnessing this behaviour because of a lack of understanding by this young “man” of politics and geo-economical fall-out from politician statements and tendencies. Most troubling to me is the total disregard by this nincompoop and his cohorts of the sacrifices that have been made to see the progress South Africa has achieved to date.
Before there were the Malemas, there were the Mini’s, Chief Luthuli, Dr. Xuma, Lillian Ngoyi, Joe Gqabi, Sisulu, Mphahlele, Gordimer, La Guma, First, Slovo, Hani, Gert Sibande, Duma Nokwe, Mxenge and countless others. There were the fighters who fell in Angola, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia abd at home in South Africa and there were those who had to face the hangman’s noose for a just and honorable cause. These are the people who must be turning in their graves today because the NEC has failed to take this “man” to task.
Who is this “man”? Who is he to weekly, if not daily, single-handedly manage to cause so much angst and frustration? My fellow brothers in arms did not lay their lives down and die in ambushes so their efforts could be so thwarted by Malema.
On behalf of all the heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice, I call on the NEC and the people of this beautiful country of ours to take this “man” to task. Where is the leadership? Why is it that he cannot be taken to task like Yengeni? The ANCYL has had great cadres and leaders in the past — need I mention Mandela? Perhaps this should not be so as this “man” deserves never to be mentioned in the same breath as Madiba. Are the cadres who spent years on Robben Island happy about this? Is this what they spent those cold nights in prison for? Have the cadres who were savaged by mosquitoes in Angola forgotten what it was all about? Have the people who were bitten by police dogs, “sjamboked” by police for marching with Cosas and detained on countless occasions forgotten what it was all about?
Is it all now about lining ones pockets illegally, openly defying laws and verbal abuse of those who dare question “him”? What has happened to the members of the NEC who rode on military convoys in Angola openly defying the Unita and Koevoet thugs, with the full knowledge that the first RPG fired by the enemy could end their lives? What has happened to the spirit of Hani? Is this what Chris died for Tokyo? Is this what my 26 fellow comrades died for on that fateful summer night in Angola? On that one night, we lost fighters with whom I stood side by side and am sure this “man” would have crapped in his pants.
What has happened to our country? Why are we allowing politicians and thugs to plunder the wealth of the nation? To understand what this was, is and will always be about, I would like to quote one of those who lead for the right reason and belief in the cause before the likes of this “man” destroys this country.
“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Nelson Mandela, defence statement during the Rivonia Trial, 1964.
Enough is enough.
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