Ok people: This one was so juicy, I had to quickly dart out of hiatus
(source)
Alternative headings:
? Classic case of the prophet being unappreciated in his own home.
? Yobs in da house: SA starts the wave sweeping through this continent.
? Finally! A chance at poverty alleviation in SA.
? Now real development will happen.
Killed my TV early this year, been getting my news via the internet and radio since. And that’s how I’ve been following the ANC elections today.Results, about 1/3 of the delegates were in Mbeki’s camp, 2/3 pro-Zuma. They voted “three piece suit” all the way.It’s uncanny how this election parallels the Kenyan situation. Economists at the helm, some people backing them and their methods. Charismatic challengers skilled at mobilizing people, arousing euphoria and hope in the downtrodden masses. Relegation to the Stoneage, or ‘Promotion to Glory’?
Everyone who calls in is very careful to first and foremost, congratulate Msholozi (Jacob Zuma).
My love, Kadar Asmal, is interviewed for his reaction. He says he’s too old to be worshipping at the feet of false gods. Says that there will need to be very stringent rules now that the ANC has moved from a movement to a political party (and his inflection indicates he thinks ‘political party’ is a dirty word… according to me). He’s sad that those voted against are people he’s worked with for the last 20 years. Guess it’s time for ye olde farts to mooove over for yoots…
She prefaces her comment by saying, “I know I’ll get my head chopped off for what I’m about to say”, the host tells her not to be afraid, nobody will chop it off. Then she goes “What zoo did they pick these 6 monkeys (the new top 6 ANC officers) from? Was it Tigerburg…” The host takes her off the air, says he’s not ready to be hauled before the Broadcasting Complaints Commission on her account.
A woman who’s upset that Zuma’s won, calls in. She loved Mbeki and felt he was a man of integrity. She’s going to vote DA in 2009, not ANC. Yet another woman calls in to express the same sentiment.
Someone calls to mournfully register: “now that we have a president with no education, so who’s going to be minister of finance? Schabir Shaik?”
When the province votes were in, a few weeks ago, someone called in that morning to say that he and his family had just started making plans to emigrate, rather than live in a Zuma presidency.
Several callers want to take potshots at the “zoo” and “education” women. The world is a mess because of “educated” people. Most of them want the miseducated, the Mandelas and Mbekis who are their tools. Zuma’s sympathetic to the poor. If she feels the county will be ruled by monkeys, why doesn’t she leave our country and go to Europe?
A couple of people want to know what happens if Zuma’s found guilty of corruption, and feel he’d better recant his threat to sue journalists who’ve had a field day with the fodder he provided during the rape case. He ought to let the press remain free.
Others, to make themselves feel better say, “we have to show a good example to the rest of Africa, that even after you’ve defeated the sitting president, you will sleep in peace”. Hey, you have to feel better about yourself, and if you’re going to go to the old standby ‘we’re still better than Africa ‘…. Dudes! whatever rubs your buddha…
Hundreds of people running around city hall in Durban, blowing vuvuzelas. Zuma’s victory is a victory for democracy, someone in Durban says.
Another caller elicits a short bark of laughter from us all as he says, “well, I’m sure Jacob Zuma will have a celebratory shower today”. Someone else is concerned about this tyranny of the majority. Poses a question reminiscent of my teenage conversations with the parents, “if people voted for someone who was a murderer, would we accept it simply because he was democratically elected?”
Get ready for a rand slump? Watch the airports for the massive exodus. Maybe folk’ll finally be able to afford houses and cars? (being sold at ‘must go’ prices). We were talking about it today… maybe this is what SA needs to finally truly be free?
Someone calls in to say that it’s the best day in SA. Why? Because now the opposition (DA) will get stronger (unless they are also in the group that never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity). Speculates that “if, maybe, Mbeki would go to the other side…”
Others are blaming Mbeki’s advisors, they misled him. But earlier today, heard a ‘Mbeki expert’ say that Mbeki’s nature is that he would have seen bowing out gracefully as a defeat. To live with himself, he had to fight to the bitter end.
Someone else calls to express something I heard while standing in a queue last week: Mbeki is advised by old people who are only interested in the Freedom Charter, and keep telling us to “remember fallen comrade xyz”. We don’t care. We’re 35s, 40s, we don’t even want that Freedom Charter, we want money!
Me? I love Mbeki (the brains, the grey temples… the brains). But I also love an underdog who emerges victorious. It makes for a great “how I overcame” story, and I love those.
Best thing about all this? There’s a documentary due out late next year… unless someone blocks it… that addresses the transition of the ANC from a movement to a political party. I wonder what the director/producer will pick and choose from this rich pool of comments/reactions :)
I love the calmness in the morning that allows bahari kua kama kioo. Before the sea and land breezes kick in and roughen up the surface of the water.
