Are voters irrelevant to South African politics?

Although my ‘Cyril Ramaphosa and the War for South Africa’ opinion piece on the ANC Conference (and its possible affects) was extremely lengthy, i’ve too many other thoughts buzzing inconveniently. I let some of them them fly here, rather haphazardly…

WHITE COMFORTABLENESS & MEDIA FAILING
It’s unsurprising how the white population, normally hysterically anti-ANC, has so quickly fitted the possibility of Cyril Ramaphosa becoming President of South Africa in 2019 into something only slightly less than the DA taking over. Unsurprising because the same biased newspapers that support the DA (whilst ignoring their crimes) have given massively positive coverage to Ramaphosa. The media has become an erosion of the Public’s Constitutional rights whilst the Public insists on being a bleating sheep that eats only the grass it’s fed. There are no heroes or saviours, just media manipulated devils to differing degrees.

GOOD PEOPLE ARE SAND GRAINS IN A RAGING RIVER
The ANC isn’t about policy for South Africa. It’s about President Jacob Zuma, for and against, I-wants and hanger-oners. There are sure to be a few good people and idealists in the mix but they’re just loose sand grains in a turbulent river that considers holding the power of the ANC together more important than holding together a country. If it were different to a significant degree, more would’ve dutifully stood up for morality long ago. Instead, the term “public servant” has become extreme contradiction.

I stress that there are good people. They can be found in every political party (no matter what their opposition says), the same way (more importantly) that bad people are in every party. It’s hard to condemn those who want to be good but don’t because politics is synonymous with thuggery, even assassination. But without bravery and self-sacrifice, the existence of good people becomes practically irrelevant.

CORRUPTION
The machete of hypocrisy was the ANC Conference focusing on personalities and their entourages rather than accountability and the fight against corruption. Pretending that the challenges facing South Africa don’t exist doesn’t install confidence in leadership. The conference was an exercise in selfishness at the expense of the health of our country.

For us citizens, the art of fighting corruption isn’t in defeating it but regularly cutting it down so that it doesn’t grow exponentially into something impossible to assail. So, to be fair, the conference deserves some credit despite my disappointment…

… but not much…

…cause the ANC isn’t Jacob Zuma… it’s most South Africans who are obviously not yet outraged by the estimated R100-billion that’s been stolen from them… in fact, they’re comfortable with the theft because they mostly reelected the old National Executive Committee that screwed them.

The NEC isn’t an organisation of change. It’s like the DA, just more clumsy at masking its self-interest with propaganda.

WHAT NOW, ANC?
Will there be ANC unity?

Will the ANC rebels, now the ANC winners, work with their internal enemies rather than seem to be working with the Opposition?

Will the ANC ever take a small step in the right direction by admitting it’s no longer a liberation party and that the Tripartite Alliance (ANC/COSATU/SACP) is a joke, a bunch of old comrades placated with well-paying jobs that distract them from influence e.g. none became NEC6 committee members? Will it admit that the revolution died alongside honesty? Will they replace ‘revolution’ with good government, a much longer process that can achieve much more?

If not, will the losers and the still-present Zuma camp compete with the EFF for the populist vote, not to help the poor but to ensure the survival of their bank accounts and patronage system?

Does anyone involved in the unity propaganda care about unity more than themselves?

Does anyone not involved in the unity propaganda care about unity more than the desire for public servants who believe in the Public?

I WISH VERSUS WHAT IS
I wish the ANC would split. The DA too. If factions became parties, the voters would know what they’re voting for. Right now, we’re blindly voting for too much to get too little whilst supporting those who’ve got too much but want more.

But would knowledge assist the lazy voter? Is it possible that the problem is more the nature of the voter than what they think they’re voting for?

There is no space for voters in South African politics if they treat their vote only as an opinion. The practical way forward is for voters to become activists. Unfortunately, most would rather accept a slow death from the false security of opinions than get out of bed to help their fellow South Africans. Life is proportional. The quality of the voter is what decides the quality of the future.