The ANC is a liberation movement and history tells us that liberation movements rarely translate into viable democracies, see Castro, Robert Mugabe and the Bolshevik nightmare in Russia. There are basically two reason why these transitions are not possible. To defeat a common enemy, such as the white Apartheid government, groups with varying ideological agendas stood together.
With the common enemy laid flat, the ideological differences become more and more apparent. See Cosatu, they differ on e-tolling, poverty management etc, but really speaking up, that they do not allow themselves.
What keeps all the various groups under the ANC umbrella is patronage. (Jobs for pals or just plain and simply said, big big bucks) Although Mr. Vavi every now and again says something which irritates the ANC top dogs, he quickly scuttles back, saying "No, no he was not criticizing the ANC, he was just....." because he knows that the moment he steps out of line too much, the money (HIS MONEY) stops.(Julius knows)
Without patronage, liberation movements cannot keep their chickens in the chicken coops, even when the sums paid out become mind-boggling. As the sweet life sets in the liberation mantras of "a better life for all " go up in smoke.
Freedom fighters have very little in common with the daily hum drum of municipal and governmental life. It is boring and even worse, done properly, it is tiring! Having few organizational talents or know-how, life outside is frightening. You'd better behave and you better be nice.
Liberation movements operate surreptitiously and conspiratorially. Suspicion runs high and dissent is viewed as traitorous. The torture of comrades who stepped out of line in the ANC exile camps, set the bottom line.In one newspaper report I recently read,it was said, that 20+ political murders have taken place in Kwa-Zulu in the recent months.
The SA police instead of becoming "friend and helper of the people", have become militarized with the most lethal of weapons. If the police had been educated and trained for crowd control, with tear gas and water cannons, the Marikana we know, would never have happened.
Even innocent words such as "compound", used daily by millions of people all over the world, become "racist expressions". Mr. Zuma's latest speeches where he threatened any one daring to bring dissent/criticism into the ANC, takes on a paranoiac proportions.
So now bring on Cyril Ramaphosa. I am not so sure if this is the new old Cyril or the old new Cyril.......He has been part of the ANC executive since 1991. His job will be, as I understand it, to posh up the ANC, resell it to the educated, bring out the Vim and Mr. Muscle and take some of the grime away, without disturbing the patronage and corruption, because if does, the ANC house of cards cannot stand.
So once again, if you want to achieve something you have never had, you have to start doing things differently. They will not and cannot let Cyril do things differently, so folks, same old shit, just the gravy is different.
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