US on the brink of its first black president; SA sweating on its third

Isn’t it ironic that the United States, thought to be at least a couple of elections away from being ready to accept its first black president, stands on the brink of doing just that while South Africa, with its 70% black majority, is sweating on the candidate chosen by the ANC for our next president?

Incredible!

Mind you, not as incredible as this article from the New York Times‘s Maureen Dowd, who sets about trying to convince her readers that the first female candidate for the presidency was only beaten because the voters were drawn to the “more feminine style of her male rival”. I think it’s drawn from the Spanish film of the same name — “El Crappo”.

Barack Obama owes his popularity to a number of reasons, including but certainly not limited to resistance to Hillary; his fresh and honest approach and less-than-cynical outlook; his acceptance by independents tired of the same old; his popularity among African-Americans; and, of course, in there somewhere, his feminine side (until they find out who she is … but I digress).

The point is that the unthinkable — that is, a black American president — is now a very real possibility. Obama, based on merit, is headed for the Democratic nomination and a shot at the White House. If Barack does owe his victory to anyone, it’s Kiefer Sutherland and 24; the hit television series showed us how cool it would be to have a black US president.

Closer to home we have the following:

A new ANC president chosen at Polokwane, primarily because he is the champion of the poor and the previous president, Thabo Mbeki, was adjudged too slow in bringing about transformation and alleviating poverty. A triumph for democracy.

Having weathered that storm, South Africans were assured that the rift between the two factions within the party would be healed.

Super — so far, so good.

Since Polokwane, JZ has been charged, the Chancellor House forensic audit has been initiated and JZ has been to Mauritius to tell its High Court that Messrs Mbeki et al were conspiring against him. If that’s the rift healed, imagine if they get mad at each other?

Try again, guys — and in the interests of the party and the country, find a way to bridge the gap.

With regard to the president in waiting of the nation, Jacob Zuma, each time we put him under the microscope, his supporters scream foul. Why would that be, guys? If he is our president to be, you’d better believe we want to know all about him and, yes, we will be merciless where he falls short. He is our next president and with that job comes enormous expectation as well as responsibility.

The two key factors that I am looking for are upliftment of the poor and the establishment of a strong black middle class. Middle South Africa is, to my mind, the most important element in a successful future for this country. That is why I stand firm on BEE and affirmative action being essential for the medium term, at least. Of course I would like them to be better managed and the fat cats dumped in favour of the middle- and lower-income groups, but that is for another debate.

If you have been reading the comments to my articles, you would have seen the fabulous and intelligent way that black South Africans are reacting to the racist incident of the Forum of Black Journalists. It is them and millions like them from which a prosperous new South Africa will be built.

With regard to those whites who applauded the BJF as a clear indication that multiculturalism doesn’t work, all I can say is that if separatism ever did occur, I would live in the multicultural state envisaged by Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo and not in the racist one.

In terms of the most vulnerable, namely the poor and oppressed, I will continue to ask our next state president these questions:

Why do you weaken the instruments protecting the poor — the criminal justice system and the media?

When do you plan to be more sensitive in your dealings with issues relating to, inter alia, women, gay people and whites?

When will you realise that associating with convicted rapists, condoning racist exercises and flying off to other countries to air our dirty laundry affects all South Africans?

All of this is having a detrimental effect on our economy, crime and the well-being of all South Africans. I am not asking for you to be abandoned; I am asking you to act presidential! I am asking you to stop doing the things that have my readers writing in to ask why I called for your amnesty.

I ask because I have a substantial Zulu fan base — a group as loyal and friendly as any you’ll find anywhere. They worship you, Mr Zuma; in the interests of us all, start acting like the state president of the Republic of South Africa.

If you’re battling, rent a copy of 24 and watch the President, David Palmer — you can’t go wrong.