The People Must Now Decide on the State of our Nation
Four days ago, I said that President Mbeki faced a "Damascus moment" in his State of the Nation address. I said that he faced a choice: He could either set South Africa on the path to a true constitutional democracy, or he could do nothing and allow the ANC to continue its assault on our Constitution.
It is clear from today's address that the President has made his choice. As has become his custom, he has failed to confront the realities facing our country head-on. Contrary to the stated theme of his speech, this was business as usual for the President. He gave the speech of a manager, not a leader. This is the same formula he has used since his first State of the Nation address in 1999.
But the country he spoke to today is very different from the one he first addressed nine years ago. We face an unprecedented attack on our Constitution by elements in the ruling party, and a long winter of economic recession ahead - caused not least by this government's failure to recognise a looming energy crisis.
Again, the President has laid the blame for the energy crisis on economic growth. This is a completely disingenuous argument. Our economy has grown an average 4% per year since 1998 when the government first knew about the imminent crisis. What would have happened if the government had managed to achieve its target of 6% growth?
Instead of firing the ministers responsible for the electricity crisis, the President said today that those who do not reduce their electricity consumption should be named and shamed. The obvious response is: Why has he not named and shamed Alec Erwin and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka? Why are they still in the Cabinet?