32 OPINION SUNDAY TRIBUNE DECEMBER 04 2016 SUNDAY A tale of two titans in a troubled party

TRIBUNE OSATU threw the cat among But it’s the 1990s Sarafina II ready for a woman president. So far, But it is the threat to back the pigeons by backing Cyril scandal that is concerning. Writing MY the Premier League – the alliance of Ramaphosa by those who lost CRamaphosa to succeed President in a recent column in Business the premiers of Mpumalanga, North which may scupper Dlamini-Zuma‘s Jacob Zuma. In a way its announcement Day, Gareth van Onselen described View West and the Free State – stands hegemony. KZN is the country‘s most ‘Long live’ marked the start of formal jostling for Dlamini-Zuma’s role in Sarafina II behind Zuma and his former wife. populous province and the ANC‘s the ANC’s top job. as “arguably the new South Africa’s The Women’s League, the ANC Youth biggest in terms of membership. It’s now clear the deputy president defining corruption scandal”. League and the military veterans are Although there are whispers and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma are As health minister, she awarded Lesiba also backing them. for a middle ground which seeks peace and going to battle it out for the leadership a R14.27 million contract in a murky There is a belief that, once in to see Ramaphosa take the baton of the party and the country. Both tender process for the musical aimed Seshoka power, Ramaphosa may make Zuma and Dlamini-Zuma deputise, it is Ramaphosa and the outgoing AU at raising awareness of HIV/Aids. face the music for his scandals. So unlikely any compromise would see chairwoman are political titans in As Van Onselen reminds us, this “concomitant” action be taken against the plan is to elect Dlamini-Zuma and the light of day as the stakes are too goodwill their own right. was an immense amount in 1995, at Marikana’s striking miners, whom he retain Zuma as ANC president – as high. If such a compromise was to Ramaphosa’s CV includes his role the time equivalent to a fifth of the viewed largely as criminals. one of the premiers has hinted. materialise, it would save the ANC as founding general secretary of the health department’s Aids budget. He also apologised after it came The ANC has previously dismissed from a divisive contest. ROUND this time in 2013 world National Union of Mineworkers, A public protector investigation to light he had (unsuccessfully) bid any suggestion that the party It is unfair to want to discredit leaders gathered in Joburg to ANC lead negotiator at Codesa and found Dlamini-Zuma misled up to R19.5m for a buffalo cow and president should be different from Dlamini-Zuma, who has such an bid farewell to a colossus among business success. Parliament and the public on the calf in the wake of the massacre, the country’s, citing what would impeccable record simply on the A while Marikana miners were living in constitute “two centres of power”. basis of her family connection. It is revolutionaries and visionaries, Nelson Dlamini-Zuma served in the health, matter (notably on the source of foreign affairs and home affairs funding, which she said came from shacks in Nkaneng township. Another possible hurdle for equally unfair to want to do away Rolihlahla Mandela. This week the world portfolios from 1994 to 2012, before the EU, which the EU denied). Despite this, Cosatu is supporting Dlamini-Zuma is the fractured nature with a deputy president succeeding, said goodbye to another such giant in being elected to the AU. There were no consequences for Ramaphosa; so is the SACP. In normal of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, her a tradition the ANC has historically Fidel Castro. Critics of her AU tenure have her misuse of public funds. circumstances, he would be well home province. Infighting between defended simply as a result of one’s Mandela ushered into the community pointed out she didn’t have a clear Ramaphosa’s Achilles’ heel is placed to take over as he is second-in- those who won in the last party dislike for the incumbent. of nations a new, non-racial, democratic strategic vision, failed to reform its his role in the strike at Lonmin’s command. Traditionally, the ANC has provincial conference and those bureaucracy and finances, and the Marikana mine in 2012. As a always insisted a deputy president who lost has led to the recall of • Seshoka is UKZN executive “rainbow nation” South Africa. Castro’s AU’s track record on peacekeeping shareholder and director, he used should succeed the incumbent. the premier, as well as four other director of corporate relations. This vision was of a Cuba where everyone and governance was patchy at best. his political connections to demand Zuma has hinted South Africa is members of the executive council. article first appeared in Finweek. was equal under a communist order. He transformed the small island nation into an influential global player. Mandela and those who fought along- side him against apartheid will forever TONGUE be grateful to Castro for hastening the & arrival of freedom for many African nations, including South Africa. CHEEK Castro was a polarising figure. To some he is a hero, while others dismiss him as a ruthless dictator. But there can never Dennis be a dispute that he greatly influenced Pather our country and continent’s history. As we pause to reflect on the pass- ing of Castro and the third anniversary of Mandela’s death, it’s important to You strike remember Madiba’s unifying influence on Cuba, the US, and world affairs. While Castro provided the inspiration a rock as well as material and other assist- ance to Mandela and other freedom fight- ers across Africa over decades, South F I told you South Africans were a Africa’s first democratically elected racist, corrupt and misogynous lot, you’d probably retort that’s far too president provided the inspiration for I wide a generalisation. the thawing of relations between Cuba And you’re right. and the US. After all, not all South Africans The handshake between Castro’s are racists. There are many out brother, Raul, and US President Barack there who do try hard to shed their historical prejudices and genuinely Obama at Mandela’s memorial service want the country to transform into that rainy day at the FNB Stadium was the promised rainbow nation. a simple gesture but carried much prom- And, I suppose, it’s equally ise for the normalisation of relations wrong to tar all South Africans between the neighbours. with the brush of corruption just because some politicians in high The Castro brothers’ and Obama’s office and sleazy tenderpreneurs admiration of Mandela nudged them with political connections have towards reconciliation. cracked open the cabinet and Mandela’s spirit continued to inspire got their grubby fingers inside the reconciliation between them in ensuing cookie jar. When it comes to gender years. There have been follow-up negoti- inequality, however, the ations, exchanges of political prisoners generalisation about misogyny and a reopening of embassies. remains valid. These developments since December South Africa is still home 2013, when we laid Madiba to rest, boost- to unacceptably high levels of violence against its women and ed hope for peace in the world – at least children. If newspaper reports over until US-president-elect Donald Trump the past week are anything to go by, came into the picture. the crisis is worsening by the day. Vladimir Putin, too, has extended the And that it is simply because too hand of friendship. many men in our country refuse to rise above their deeply ingrained With Castro gone, we can only hope Right-wing shadow looms over world caveman instincts and prejudices his younger brother, and other world that belong to a pre-historic era. leaders, continue with the good work of ’M IN the US this week and it capitalism supported by the likes While his courage must be They certainly know how to talk rebuilding relations across oceans and certainly feels different. If Donald of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, and applauded, this is not about him. It the talk. They never stop bragging MY is about making the state work for ideological divides to make the world a ITrump’s policy plan of a “Muslim before them Margaret Thatcher about how we slew the dragon of ban” is implemented, this might mark View and Ronald Reagan, has plunged society rather than just a predatory apartheid and how our liberation better place. Mandela would approve. the end of my frequent trips here. millions into destitution while the elite. leaders collectively scripted our We know there has been a steep new managerial class has grown We need to throw everything new progressive constitution that is incline in anti-Muslim feelings in excessively wealthy. into the growing movement against now the envy of the world. the US. Numerous incidents of Imraan The left has failed to win a critical corruption. We also need to do all They boast about the slew of Islamophobia and hate have been mass of support. But the right has that we can to oppose the emergence forward-thinking laws on our reported recently, including one Buccus been extremely successful in stoking of fake news and post-truth politics. statutes and the many Section 9 where a teacher in the south was various kinds of prejudices that We need to support rational debate forums established to protect our TRIBUNE TEAM left a note telling her to hang herself result in Muslims being blamed for based on solid empirical evidence. constitutional democracy and build with her hijab, which “isn’t allowed This has often taken the form of the crisis in India, Mexicans and The third task we face is the our country into a model nation. anymore”. organised and well-funded attempts Muslims in the US, immigrants, urgent need to build a mass-based Where they fall flat is when it Trump’s election to the American to push “post-truth” propaganda including Poles, in Britain and so on. and democratic left. If there was comes to walking the talk. EDITOR HERALD presidency is a political disaster. He through social media outlets. This has been supported by the a credible left in the US, Bernie Don’t get me wrong. The Mazwi Xaba Annie Dorasamy 031 308 2316 031 308 2378 has expressed feelings of racism, In South Africa, Jacob Zuma and decline of the traditional media Sanders would be the president-elect. constitution and legislation serve [email protected] [email protected] xenophobia, global warming Julius Malema are both authoritarian and the rise of social media that is If there was a credible left in the UK, as important pillars in the struggle ASSISTANT EDITOR LIFESTYLE denialism and does not have the populists – a movement which has vulnerable to the proliferation of Jeremy Corbyn would be the prime against gender inequality. They are Carol Campbell Buhle Mbonambi temperament for public office. Yet also displaced more democratic forms fake news and post-truth analysis and minister. If there was a credible left there to help safeguard the rights 031 308 2220 031 308 2395 he’s the most powerful man on the of politics among students on some opinion. in India, Modi would not have been of all citizens. But they cannot [email protected] [email protected] planet. campuses. In South Africa we are already able to take power. operate in a vacuum. NEWS DESK TRAVEL A number of commentators Figures like Zuma, Malema and quite far down the rabbit hole. To Previous NGO-led attempts to What’s going to win this war Annie Dorasamy Clinton Moodley have argued this disaster was first student leader Mcebo Dlamini are avoid hitting rock-bottom, we need build a united left in South Africa, against violence against women 031 308 2378 [email protected] presaged with the election of the all demagogues trying to mobilise to take urgent action to turn things like the United Front and the and children in our country is a [email protected] Tribune fax: 031 308 2357 corrupt right-wing millionaire, Silvia nationalist sentiment to bolster around. Democratic Left Front, ended in change in mindset. [email protected] PRODUCTION Subscriptions Berlusconi, in Italy. their own authority and power. The first step is to understand failure. We need to learn lessons In the same way we declared Greg Hutson 031 308 2022 It does make some sense to point They present themselves as men that millions face a serious economic from those failures and base future war on racism – by adopting a zero 031 308 2150 fax 031 308 2440 to the election of Berlusconi as the of the people and have alarmingly crisis and take effective steps to begin attempts at building a real left on tolerance approach towards people [email protected] Switchboard: 031 308 2911 arrival of “post-truth” politics in authoritarian tendencies. to resolve it. Lazy sloganeering by the popular organisations. who refer to others in derogatory SPORT CLASSIFIEDS: Western democracies. Dlamini’s disregard for the truth left has not helped. Numsa is the obvious starting terms or send racially offensive Murray Staats 0860 238 377 But Trump is also part of a more is extraordinary. Malema’s recent Recent research by people like Ivor point. But Amcu should be engaged posts on social media – we must 031 308 2319 fax 031 308 2444 contemporary wave of right-wing, invocation of the spectre of genocide Chipkin, as well as Jeremy Seekings too, as well as social movements. commit ourselves to challenging [email protected] [email protected] sometimes neo-fascist, authoritarian is chilling. Zuma and the Guptas, as and Nicoli Nattress, has shown If these organisations could come those who perpetrate violence populists that have been elected we now all know, are running a social that South Africa is not a classic together, we would have hundreds against women in our country. around the world. media propaganda operation along neoliberal state. of thousands of people in factories, Just as we have started This wave includes Narendra the model of the so-called “Alt Right” The progressives in the ANC have mines, informal settlements and campaigns to show how corruption Modi, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the US, complete with twitter bots, built an innovative welfare state schools united in a single progressive is destroying the stability and Vladimir Putin and Rodrigo Duterte. foundations, like Jimmy Manyi’s with massive investments in public project. prosperity of our country, we It also includes politicians like Nigel Decolonisation Foundation and post- housing, social grants and so on. If we fail to build a mass-based need to change attitudes among Sunday @Sunday Tribunenews Farage and Marine Le Pen. truth propaganda publications like There is currently a real possibility and democratic left, we will, like the men who threaten, assault and Tribune TribuneSA @inl.co.za This wave of far right-wing, Andile Mngxitama’s Black Opinion. of attaining a minimum wage. US, Britain, India, the Philippines subjugate women. sometimes neo-fascist, authoritarian We, like many countries in the Of course more should be done to and many other countries, face an If we can stand up and say populism is usually organised around world, including the US, are at a rein in capital and prevent the export increasingly bleak and dangerous “enough is enough” in our charismatic and often demagogic dangerous juncture. of profits. But the fundamental future. campaigns against the evils of figures who blame vulnerable groups, There are a number of reasons problem with our society is that the • Buccus is senior research racism and corruption, we must often ethnic or religious minorities, so many societies have succumbed state has been deeply corrupted. associate at ASRI, research fellow be just as passionate in our fight PRESS OMBUDSMAN for the economic crisis caused by to authoritarian populism. The most We have to turn this corruption in UKZN’s school of social sciences against gender inequality. The Sunday Tribune subscribes to the South African Press unrestrained capitalism. important for the turn away from around. Pravin Gordhan has become and academic director of a university But let us move beyond the Code that prescribes news that is truthful, accurate, fair and It has made effective use of social democratic and progressive values is the figurehead for a growing revolt study abroad programme on political rhetoric and deal with the realities. balanced. If we don’t live up to the code, please contact the media to whip up fears and anger. that the extreme form of neoliberal against corruption and looting. transformation. [email protected] Press Ombudsman at 011 484 3618 or 011 484 3619.