Shameless

Mr Blade Nzimande, have you no shame?

I ask this question having just read what the South African Communist Party general secretary was giving as justification for the “proposed” media tribunal. Could it be that Blade sees the “danger” of the media because of the double-speak and luxurious living at the expense of the taxpayer while saying he and his organisation claim to be for the masses? I would like to ask Mr Nzimande if he would be willing to give up the luxury and as a communist live among the masses. Would he be willing to give up the German luxury cars? How about this legalised plunder?

Why is it that there is no shame any more? It used to be that one would be ashamed of doing anything that would lead to the family name being shamed. You were ashamed if your parents found out about your antics. These are the reasons why, in my mind, the ruling party, the politically connected and political hacks are on this misguided path. Only if the media were to look the other way, they would not see any issues.

I am sadly reminded of “Die Rooi Gevaar” and “Die Swart Gevaar”. How quickly we forget? How quickly the ruling party is adapting and adopting the tactics of the past. They are perfecting that which the apartheid regime and the ANC itself learnt to execute while in exile. This is not to allow the free flow of information while turning a blind eye to graft, misuse of power and heavy-handedness. What else could the reason that no action is taken against those who misuse power?

It is quite telling that even people who in the past had their voices stifled and detained while in exile are now preaching the same tune for which the ruling party had them detained. Pallo Jordan should not forget that for his freedom of expression, Mbokodo had found it necessary to detain him. He is now preaching the same gospel that saw him detained. How quickly we forget.

It is also troubling that representatives of the media have in recent weeks indicated that they are open to some of the tribunal “proposal” approaches. What? So, how do you go from freedom of speech, reporting the news, holding public officials to account and exposing the graft to “yes, we in a tiny bit recognise that we should not be exposing the graft?” It is my humble opinion that if you accept noise and chatter like this as true, you might as well call it quits, you are now bordering on appeasement.

The media does not and has not threatened democracy! The connected few, corrupt, political hacks who speak with forked tongue are doing a wonderful job of this themselves. Why is it that as opposed to decrying something as this there is silence on the ruling party side and members of the alliance? Is it because what benefits the connected and political hacks is “acceptable” but exposing it is not, heavens forbid the people should learn and perhaps find a different party to vote for next time? Why is it that something like this is not decried by Mr Nzimande? I must have missed Mr Nzimande’s condemnation of this political hack, or this, or this, or this, or this dangerous excuse of a discussion document. How about the racially charged diatribe spewed by the ANCYL? The young inexperienced cry babies have a gall to say something like this. Where is the shame? It used to be that if you were such an embarrassment your mother/father would come pull you by the ear in front of your friends for shaming them. Would the parents please come pick up the kids.

The purpose of the government is to put the interests of the people first. Is it too much to ask for? Why is it that the whole country’s well-being, use of taxpayer money, service delivery, provision of education, health to name a few cannot be a priority for the ruling party. Why must the people of the country be left holding the short end of the stick?

What a shame that the man holding the highest office in the land responsible for the above does not set goals to be met by ministers to ensure delivery. Instead they get to set their own goals. What a farce? What is this, kindergarten? Can we please slow down the slide to the banana republic? Is it too much to ask of the political hacks, can they please at least pretend that they want to keep their deployment jobs on job performance?