Terry Bell: Let’s ditch myths about ANC’s glorious past // Jason Burke: Jacob Zuma relishes his day in court
Accusations about the
manipulation of ANC election lists are nothing new. Nor, for that matter, is
evidence of corruption, nepotism and the existence of patronage networks. During the decades in
exile, democratic decisions taken within the ANC were, more often than not,
ignored or simply over-ridden if they did not suit the leadership. Yet now we
seem to be dealing with a call to go back to some mythical past where the ANC
was an apparent paragon of virtue and a shining example of ethical and
democratic behaviour.
In the exile years
that myth was the public relations image presented to the outside world in
general and, especially after 1976, to donors. But the ANC, while rebelling
against the vicious and corrupt system of apartheid, was itself a product of
that system. Those who flocked to its broad church banner were a reflection of
that society and time: romantics, revolutionaries, idealists, rogues and
robbers, along with capitalists, socialists and the severely compromised.
So the exiled movement
compromised many good people, some bad, and some decidedly ugly. Many of the
good tried throughout to fight a largely losing battle to make a reality of the
professed principles and policies of the ANC. They were stymied by the fact that
from the earliest days of exile, unity became to the clarion call from the
leadership. All else was
secondary, if it mattered at all. This laid the ground for an autocratic style
of governance which, at the same time, tolerated the spread of patronage
networks, nepotism and corruption. This was first highlighted within the
movement in 1969 by seven comrades freed from jail in Botswana after the Wankie
and Sipolile incursions into then Rhodesia.
At the time I - an ANC
member - was working on the Copperbelt and heard of serious disquiet in the
camps south of Lusaka that housed the movement’s armed wing, MK. A memorandum
signed by the seven, who included Chris Hani, complained of the corruption,
nepotism and rot in the ANC and it seemed that mutiny was in the air; that the
movement might implode. These were difficult
times and the apartheid state was making diplomatic inroads into Africa on the
strength of its military might. ANC members such as myself, on work permits in
Zambia, ended up not having our permits renewed.... https://terrybellwrites.com/2019/04/15/lets-ditch-myths-about-ancs-glorious-past/Jacob Zuma relishes his day in court as Cyril Ramaphosa faces ‘very dark hour
Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s former president, will make an unprecedented appearance before a judicial inquiry for a five-day grilling this week over corruption allegations relating to his years in power. Zuma has been accused of presiding over an immense system of corruption and patronage that drained billions from the exchequer and damaged the reputation of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) beyond repair.
But there are fears
that the veteran politician will use the hearings as a platform to attack his
successor, Cyril
Ramaphosa, who ousted Zuma last year, aggravating the bitter struggle
between factions of the divided party. Although Ramaphosa led the ANC to a
convincing electoral victory in May, the 66-year-old tycoon and former labour
activist has so far been unable to assert his authority over the party, and
observers say he is looking increasingly weak.“Ramaphosa is entering
a very dark hour and his defenders are few and far between,” wrote commentator Adriaan Basson shortly after Ramaphosa made
the traditional state of the nation address. A quarter of a century
after the end of the apartheid system, South Africa remains
one of the most unequal societies in the world, with soaring unemployment, a
flagging economy and high levels of violent crime....
