Looking at it from political angle you would have to yes. And that boils down to everyday life which means even if you not into politics as such,you will be affected by it. So what make the country so bad in such a short space of time?
South Africa is a one-party state regardless of how else you want to sugar-coat it. On paper South Arica is Democratic and so says its unique constitution. However because South Africa have so few opposition in local authorities,except for the Western Cape off-course, all our elections and politics basically gets governed by just one party,namely the ANC.This is one of the most unnatural forms of governance in our modern world and is so frustrating because it only leads to mindless infighting and bickering for position of power and control.
Factional wars between Jacob Zuma,the loud -mouth Julias Malema,the ANCYL,Cosatu,etc seem to take a turn for the worse whenever an incident of relitive importance takes place in the country regardless off how negligible or how consequential these players in the horror show would want to make it. Whoever wins this tug of war in the battle of wills,will decide who rules South Africa and decides its future in the end. It seems that serious.
Not so long ago Zuma and Malema were best of buddies, staunch allies if you will when they successfully plotted the unseating of Thabo Mbeki.Malema saying quite loudly that he would kill for Zuma.Now off-course he'd rather see Zuma mopping the floors in Hell,if ever there is such a place.Malema has outshone Zuma in popularity by simply courting outrage whenever he can with his uncouth way of talking in public and his wild statements at every opportunity. For a man-child like Malema to say that Robert Mugabe's land invasions is an agricultural genius and that Botswana is too Westernized & capitalist, then one would understand why he would occupy such a central political status among South African unschooled and uneducated voting majority. So what's at the heart of South Africa's troubles? Is it a genuine difference of opinion between these fighting players in the South African "horror show" or political dumpster? Why can't South Africa become a multi-party democracy with viable opposition that rigorously debate with each other instead of fighting with each other? Sou
th Africa has power struggles that can only be seen in one-party states.Malema supporters whenever they protest against Zuma, always run riot brandishing knobkerries,machetes,pangas,spears and even guns trying to take South Africa over by force. They'll burn people alive,set anything within touching distance alight with their bonfires,pelt journalist with stones and rocks and tear down police barricades and even crossing police lines to get shot at or killed.
Is a meaningful,normal democracy to farfetched for South Africa? Time magazine once wrote:"Most of us expect to find certain basic things under democratic governments,things like personal liberty,equality,respect for human life and justice by law." Is that too much to ask from South Africa?
Has South Africa under ANC rule become too bloated,inefficient and helpless a giant towards its own citizens? The democratic principle of check and balances seems to be a good idea on paper, but is scarcely effective in real terms. Should we give greater acceptance to the fact that our country is ****ed up whichever way you look at it politically?
John Dryden,a 17th century poet,wrote:"The most[the ruling majority]may err,as grossly as the few[minority classes]and democracy is in serious trouble."
Are we in trouble in South Africa?
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