Our leaders make us ashamed

6 December 2022

Thirty or forty years ago, South Africa was described as the “Polecat of the World.” That changed when we entered the democratic era. While   President Mandela was around, he was lauded internationally. Most South Africans had every reason to be proud of our president and our country.

Apart from President Motlanthe, who served only for months (without putting a foot wrong), we have had a succession of presidents who had to resign before the end of their term. The latest in the line, President Ramaphosa, looks pretty vulnerable, although I think the Court will set aside the Section 89 finding in that the Panel misdirected itself.

President Mbeki was a gentleman. He was not corrupt, but under him, ANC politicians licked their lips and squeezed whatever they could out of the state. 300 000 HIV sufferers died unnecessarily because of his views. It all but destroyed his reputation with overseas investors who count.

But under him, the SA economy experienced a golden period, unemployment was far lower than it is now, and average South Africans, black or white, were better off than they had been and miles better off than they are now. An unholy alliance of Jacob Zuma, Julius Malema (prepared to “die for Zuma”); plus a motley collection of the wannabe rich, got rid of Mbeki.

Jacob Zuma, that rapacious and greedy man, took South Africa to new lows in terms of our economy, the capture of the state by his friends, unemployment and appallingly poor government at every level, but also in terms of our international reputation. In Zuma’s second term, when Motlanthe had the courage to oppose Zuma while knowing he could not win, Ramaphosa saw the gap, supported Zuma, was appointed deputy president and in return for his silent acquiescence of the crookery, the looting, the misgovernment, the breaches of the Rule of Law, remained that for four years.

Ramaphosa, who would have lost the bid for leadership, did a last- minute deal with David Mabuza, who had an extremely bad reputation. Mabuza supported him and was rewarded with the deputy presidency of our country. A brief period of Ramaphoria occurred but that cooled as the tardiness, inaction, weakness and failure to do what was necessary, rotted Ramaphosa’s reputation both here and internationally.

One wonders what King Charles lll thinks of his new best friend only two weeks after the lavish state visit, with Ramaphosa unable or unwilling to provide a satisfactory explanation for the utter sleaze of having hundreds of thousands of US dollars stuffed into a couch. Ramaphosa’s reputation will never recover and SA cannot be proud of him, whether or not he resigns or is thrown out.

What is perhaps even worse for South Africans is the belief that no matter what Ramaphosa might have done, whatever crimes he might have committed, whatever deficiencies he has shown, he is nevertheless probably better and (slightly) more honest than any of the names of those aspiring to replace him.

The party of liberation has turned out to be a disgrace. Many believed there was a good ANC and a bad one. It is now becoming clear that most in government, at every level, are tainted. We have few if any, who make us proud.

South Africans, in their millions, should begin looking around, firstly at John Steenhuisen, who has an excellent reputation, and at some of the other political leaders who will serve with him in a multi-party coalition after 2024. We want and need leaders who make us proud.

Douglas Gibson is a former chief whip of the opposition and former ambassador to Thailand. His email address is [email protected]

This article first appeared in The Star.