The Cold War Between the DA and ANC in South Africa
I hate liars, especially in a political context. They use words as weapons that are ripping South Africa apart. Nowhere is that more apparent in South Africa than on the Garden Route.
If i hadn’t experienced the lies of the DA in my home of Knysna (Mayor Georlene Wolmarans, Deputy Mayor Michelle Wasserman, Councillor Esme Edge), the wall of delay and eventual inaction (from the likes of Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA Chief of Staff, and Minister Alan Winde), and Helen Zille’s own failure in adhering to her response policy, i may never have quoted for the job to create the website for the Justice & Equality Front (JEF) (whose first action was to beat the Plett DA with the justice system). I did because i believed that battles in the courts were preferable to battles in the street. I did because information that JEF provided me cast further doubt on the so-called honesty of the Democratic Alliance.
It all boils down to the simple fact that the DA and ANC are at war. For want of a better name, it’s a Cold War, filled with propaganda and skirmishes, a pushing and shoving for power and wealth. The situation is as ludicrous as it is in much of the world, whether it be the US (Republicans and Democrats) or Afghanistan (buy-a-dictator). The powers-that-be are not looking out for the public. It’s self-service, not public service. Here in South Africa, it gets an uglier side when party loyalty is oft based on the colour of your skin and race is used to divide and conquer.
As much to blame is the public’s apathy towards educating themselves towards opinion.
What should count is the heart of a person…and if they follow it with action. Belief without action isn’t belief at all.
Few would disagree when told that there are good and bad black people, good and bad white people. But that common sense is somehow forsaken when having an opinion about the state of our towns; tourism, economics, crime, politics etc. Everyone has opinions. Few substantiate them (just look at this comment section on Politicsweb which forsakes rational for slander). It’s mostly an affair between apartheid and reverse apartheid, white versus black, have money versus wanting money.
I regularly experience mindless or hateful attacks. The perverse logic is that if i question the “transparent” DA, then i’m ANC – i’m not. In fact, in Knysna, i consider the DA to be corrupt and the ANC to be useless, selfish opposition. That opinion could easily be reversed in a different election. I question the DA because it’s dishonest. I’m willing to chat to all political parties because the only way we could possibly move forward is if our politicians start working together. Of course, what i believe means nothing to my detractors…and the problem with public attacks is that they don’t have to be substantiated (hell, online, they don’t even have to use their real names).
The KEEP (or the Knysna Keep as it’s become to be known), was meant to seek and represent truth whilst simultaneously working on projects that bridge the divide. That last part is very important but it has sadly not happened as much as i’d hoped. When i informed those that were going to help The KEEP what i was about to start blogging, who i was aiming at, they pulled back in case it affected their lives or businesses. Or maybe it was just because they, like most, hang around in easy situations but run from conflict. Furthermore, making enemies of Knysna Tourism and Knysna Municipality certainly hung many project intentions (not that i’ve given up, i do what i can without finance. I hope that Love Knysna and Knysna Schools are considered by all to be a positive for our town. I’ve also brought locals online through their own websites). Ironically, i support both those essential bodies…but not the rotten people that run them for themselves and the DA. That is a distinct difference! Note that, if anything, i’d much prefer spending less time on this blog and more in the field.
We, the public, deserve public service, not puppets working for Cape Town or favouritism to their buddies. We need leaders who will criticize their leaders, both Jacob Zuma and Helen Zille, for the sake of democracy. We need leaders who do their best for our towns, who put the public first, not their grossly, inflated pay cheques and political climbing. We need leaders who will identify crime, poverty, drugs and racism as prerogatives, discuss them with us and make a plan to make life better.
We need honest mayors and councillors. We need media that will report both sides.
We don’t need what we’ve got.
There was a time when we would cluster in coffee bars and pubs, to discuss local, national or international issues which we felt needed action; a campaign; pressure; agitation until we felt that some wrong was being made right. Now, I fear, we have moved into an era where people seem more concerned about whether or not Wayne Rooney’s hair is growing back, or how ‘Shagette’ performed on Idols. It is as if we have all been given an injection which has put us (more or less) to sleep. We are no longer thinking. Rather, we are manipulated and herded like sheep. A song which captures this beautifully is Brian McNeill’s ‘No Gods and Precious few Heroes.’ Okay, it’s written specifically in the Scottish context, but it works for me. Maybe in your unique role Mike, you could propagate that much needed clustering of local people with hearts and minds, to start pressing, agitating for changed behaviour in our Municipality. But first you would need some specific targets to aim at, perhaps only one initially, and then go hell for leather in a bid for change.
Nowadays, people cluster only to complain, not plan. I’d give anything for locals to sit together and commit to focused action.
A major problem is the division of official bodies. Instead of a Ratepayer’s Association representing the town, and growing as the Knysna grows, Leisure Island and Belvidere operate separately. Similarly, Thesen is another “island”. Instead, those, the B&B Association and the Knysna Chamber of Business are ineffective because they do not acknowledge common problems and face them together. That mentality will only assist eventual downfall. If you ignore corrupt politicians and hungry people, there’s always a reckoning.
I realize that The Keep’s approach is not sustainable so have no doubt that i’ve attempted to find and gather similar minds. I’ve yet to find a single reliable, brave person whose prepared to fight the difficult battle against the powers-that-be for a better Knysna. If you have suggestions, or can spread the word, that would always be appreciated.
At the very least, it would be nice to get more projects underway. That requires participation.
Ha ha….your headline took the words right out of my brain drain….lol.
Here in the south-central part of North Dakota the local acronyms would be different though. Your title would read The ND ICE war between the DA’s pet Jack Ass (District Attorney) and SA’s pac of red cinder Ele(phd)Ants.
what can I say here….and it’s a long…well….let’s just say this
“I’m headed to a more progressive venue this weekend. My federally extended ND unemployment check still cleared this week….but my financial aid is caught up in the red ink and it looks like I need a tax evasion tutor….or maybe just a change of venue….and a piece of higher ground to stand on! I will email you when I get out of the dyslexic DOG ate my homework country!
PS….please pray that I don’t get collared or along the way! I think my comrade in arms wants to take me to church!
That’s the first time links to ACDC and activism appeared in a single comment – ha ha. Yeah, Michelle, it’s more or less the same bullshit everywhere. The politicians “rock ‘n roll” themselves to the top. Corruption starts with “small” lies and ignoring the public. At the end of that journey, they’re bought.
As for the “99%” movement, you at least have unions on your side. Ours may as well be politicians too. South Africa rotten in many places. And you have people who are prepared to march. Here white people tend to hide in their homes. It’s a saddening state of affairs. Very tough to take it back. Democracy hasn’t been with us for a long time. It’s just something they show on TV for the benefit of trade with the US etc.
PS: So you’re surviving! Assume you’ll get back to me about the Chippewas when life more stable.
Hi Mike, you hit the nail on it’s head! I would to make it very very clear that I fully support your blog and JEF website. Reasons for this: The truth that don’t reach the main media who is in any case useless or political aligned, because of adverts that should be placed in the newspapers. You guys state the facts as is and make sure of your information. You are uncovering the lies of the so called holy and honest cows like specifically the DA. If they threaten to stop your blog and close down JEF’s website, where is there so called open “OPEN SOCIETY PLA”, Press freedom. Strange on the one hand the DA is fighting against the new Secrecy Bill, but they want to silence you guys. Mike if they have never experience hell on earth let them, and you will see how people in this region will voice their utter dicsgrace with these puppets who are remote controlled from Wale Street.
You guys are uncovering the incompetence of these councillors who earn GRAVY TRAIN salaries as Mayor’s and Deputy Mayors, but who don’t care for the voters. DAy of reckoning will come two years from now 2014 when we as voters will go the poles again. I just hope that the voters will remember these useless Councillors who promised us clean and transparent local government. They are worse than the ANC.
You cannot expect Hellen Zille to come back to you, because she is preparing for her civil claim aganist JUJU!
WE SUPPORT KEEP & JEF AL THE WAY!!!
Thank you. Sometimes it feels like an impossibly long, lonely journey.
I can only hope that the public forces the next councillor candidates to sign forms obligating them to the community that voted for them instead of faraway party leaders who don’t give a damn about us except at election time.
This is a very good article Mike. We from the Justice and Equality Front believe that the only solution to the political mess in municipalities are to remove politics there from completely and go back to days when a town was run by the Town Clerk and his staff, and the Mayor cuts ribbons and smile for the camera. We are currently looking into how exactly this can be achieved. Let our towns be run by professionals and let the politicians go play their games on Provincial and National Level. With great respect, I honestly feel we can do without them on local level.
In those days, mayors even worked for free. True public service. At least in Plett, your councillors never took an increase this year. Unfortunately, here in Knysna, they did; ironically, something that all parties agreed on.
My old lady worked for JHI, her boss was a top dog for a property group AND the mayor of Durban. At 5, he knocked off his day job, got dressed into his gold necklace and whatnot, got in the car while his wife drove him off to Mayoral business. The only thing he got was job satisfaction. Now everyone DEMANDS!!! Whether we’ll get honesty back in this sick world, I can’t say, but without pride, we’re all doomed.
“Pride” is the key word. Well mentioned. Instead of improving ourselves, being the best we can be, we live in a society that continually points fingers of blame at others so as to distract from our own faults. There can never be unity unless self-pride precedes it.
Well said!! I read those responses to Kenny’s letter and cannot believe how low people are prepared to go when caught out in a lie. I think the comment which you posted on Politicsweb was well balanced and polite and did not warrant such hateful and ridiculous accusations. So typical of them, calling for the banning of KnysnaKEEP, shame….! I wanted to end this comment that I feel sorry for them but I’m not a liar.
There are so many things I agree with. It seems like people cannot accept the fact that some people (like myself, who for instance has absolutely NO political aliance or allegiance – I dislike and distrust all politicians equally) can be critical of both the ANC and the DA. I am just that. It is not necessary to be an ANC member or activist to criticise the DA and vice versa. I believe that party politics should be removed from all municipalities, and that Towns and Cities should be governed by non-party political LEADERS, not pawns and puppets who serve their masters on a local level. They should serve the people of that Town or City and no one else. Service delivery should be more important than salaries of public SERVANTS, or political points. If only the politicians would stop fighting political battles and start fighting the real enenmy, poverty, lack in education and healthcare, socail inequalities, drug problems, unemployment and crime to name but a few.
Ditto!
Agreed. Or politicians should be accountable i.e. they can be fired by the voters, before their term is up, if they don’t perform, just like any job. None of this 5 years in power at big salaries so long as they listen to their bosses in Cape Town, Pretoria etc.
I think it is a good article. Yes, we need more honest and pro people (especially the poor) politicians.
Thanks for commenting,