I fully agree that Zuma was addressing the ANC manifesto summit in his capacity as the president of the party, not as the president of the country! Confusing neh? Its fine! One would ask thought that how do you then divorce the ANC from the government? Who gave a thumbs up to the e-tolling in Gauteng? Is it not this very same Zuma? A fortnight ago, the ANCYL came out vocally calling for the support of the e- tolls and when some of us called them Zuma puppets remote controlled from Nkandla bedrooms, we were lambasted. Like millions of other South Africans and our Malawian brothers who vented their anger on twitter since last night, Im really disturbed by Mr Mac Maharajs statement that Zumas utterances were taken out of context and blown out of proportion! If thats the case, then in what context did he mean it and why is he not defending himself? The statements of Zuma came after he was asked about the rationale and the logic behind the e-tolls in Gauteng, which the majority of motorists didnt accept! According to the statement released by his spokesperson Mac Maharaj, Zuma said, We cant THINK like Africans in Africa and accept that Gauteng roads were not like some national road in Malawi or Pietermaritzburg or Rustenburg. How do or should Africans think? When he married many wives, was he not thinking like an African? When he slaughtered cows and called sangomas in one ceremony at Nkandla, was he not thinking like an African? All of a sudden the concerned citizens of South Africa are not allowed to think like Africans as Africans when they have grievances about how certain matters are done! Maharaj further said, The President then made the example that it was also not fair to expect Gauteng roads to be compared to roads in other towns such as Pietermaritzburg, Rustenburg, Polokwane or any other town or national road in Malawi as this was Gauteng, the heartbeat of South Africas economy and an international city of commerce and business. I cant believe that Maharaj wrote that! In total context this is an insult to those places and the people who are staying there! Polokwane is the city of Limpopo province, Rustenburg is the city of North West province, Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu- Natal, Zumas home province. Just like SA, Malawi is not some place somewhere in the galaxy. It is an African republic which gained its independence long before us in 1964. Malawi might be economically behind than SA with an estimated population of over 17 million people, but still that doesnt mean Zuma has any right to undermine or disrespect this old African state. That was an utter insult to President Joyce Banda and her people. Or maybe is because Zuma is a traditionalist who doesnt have respect for women? His treatment of women is well documented. Zuma visited Malawi where he attended the 33rd Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, which took place on 17-18 August 2013. Im wondering that what was he actually doing there. To inspect the Malawian roads? To compare Malawi with South Africa? What Malawi has to do with e-tolls? Im strongly convinced that the office of the presidency must stop this arrogancy of forever playing defensive tactics whenever things goes wrong in office of the president and issue a full, modest and comprehensive statement of apology to the government and the people of Malawi before issuing unambiguous and distorted explanations to the people of Limpopo, NW, Pietermaritzburg and the rest of South Africa. Let me remind Zuma and those who are on defense of his shameful utterances. The former homelands of SA (TBVC) or Bantustands were created mainly to bring imbalance and division in the tribal and ethnic groups of Mzansi. The apartheid government succeeded in that regard. After 1994, such were abolished and national provinces were created for clear geographic purposes and to easily disseminate the state resources equally according to the dermographics of each province. The main purpose was to bring the balance, intergration, cohesion and to do away with the inequalities created by the justices of the past! The Zumas statement clearly implied that its okay for Limpopo, NW, MP, NC, Pietermaritzburg and any other area in SA to have ruined, delapidated roads and infrastructure, but NOT Gauteng. Its clear that the government of the ANC has totally failed to enforce a truly prosperous, inclusive, balanced and an economic viable South African society
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 07:54:47 +0000
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