Beware of the traps of imported democracy

Udo W. Froese Other Side of the Coin
SOUTH Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) was trapped into “service delivery”. This, however, was not part of the struggle against oppression.

Neither South Africa’s ANC, nor Namibia’s Swapo Party, nor Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF, nor Mozambique’s Frelimo, nor Angola’s MPLA, nor any other Southern and East African liberation movement fought for “service delivery”. It was a struggle against racist colonial-apartheid and its exploitation.

“Democracy” was imported as a US product of the Cold War to protect foreign interests in Africa, just like colonialism, apartheid and UDI did.

The plunder of Africa’s wealth through structures like the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the banking structures carries on with impunity. Imported US “democracy” has legitimised this evil.

Now, democracy proofs to be key to global anarchy and regime change. Democracy needs to be corrected.

The East African slogan, “UHURU NAGAZI” — Freedom and Hard Work — means freedom of movement, of association, of communication and all other freedoms enshrined in the constitution. They are part of the struggle for freedom.

UHURU NAGAZI was hijacked.

The public is misled by cunningly wrong analysis and interpretations. People demand houses, jobs and land. To get it, they have exchanged hard work for lengthy, violent strikes. Hence, president Zuma accuses South Africans of being lazy. The Freedom Charter stated clearly, land would be given to those who work it. Service delivery was no part of the ANC, its struggle for freedom, its policies, or its goals.

In fact, massive service-delivery-protests harm social stability, as certain unelected and unknown political activists seem to be close to foreign interests of the imperialist West.

Meanwhile, the media oversimplifies mentioned political and socio-economic activities and thereby misleads its clientele.

This is hypocritical criticism, which does not serve anyone, but the media barons and their interests.

It is disruptive and skewing current affairs in South Africa and therefore, it is dishonest.

The continuous media attacks, character assassinations and disinformation campaigns against the head-of-state, cabinet, government, parliament, the ruling ANC and the sovereignty of the country, are disconcerting. It seems that the media barons, their boards and senior management are the power behind the efforts of discrediting and undermining the current authorities.

There is a determined, concerted media attempt to unseat president Jacob Zuma and destroy the ANC while showing their allegiance with the opposition.

By now, it should have long been understood, that such vicious un-African efforts would eventually proof futile. The black African majority will not be fooled. In indigenous black African football circles, in the chesa nyamas and shebeens, in taxis and buses, at private parties and on the streets of the townships people ask, “Why is president Jacob Zuma made out to be so bad?” They question the role of the media as it continues to target president Jacob Zuma and the ruling ANC.

From “Nkandla” to the “arms deal”, recalled former president Thabo Mbeki is forgotten. The media, its mischievous armchair academic analysts with egos to boot, use every platform to character assassinate Zuma and to discredit the ANC.

The media also created the impression that Zuma had set up the Seriti Commission of Inquiry into the “arms deal” in order to clear his name. It eventually came out that Terry Crawford-Brown was behind it, as he tried to force the president’s hand to set up the Seriti Commission of Inquiry through court action. The court decided to set up the commission. Zuma followed the rule of law. As it turned out, Crawford-Brown based his expose on hearsay, subsequently losing his credibility.

The public protector, a chapter-9 institution, is another case in point. The state set up the institution to assist ordinary people not to be short-changed in their endeavours to get what is owed to them. Under advocate Thuli Madonsela the public protector has become a political lobby for the elite. The public protector has missed its mission. The parliamentary ad hoc committee on “Nkandla” found that Madonsela did not understand the constitution. This made her to misinterpret the role of chapter-9 institutions.

Madonsela is out of her depth.

Another chapter-9 institution is the Human Rights Commission (HRC). This institution was supposed to transform society. Farm workers, factory workers, mine workers, household workers and many other sectors of the economy’s employees are exposed to abuse and racism. They remain underpaid slaves and are forced to work long hours without being rewarded accordingly.

The HRC is however, not dealing with these issues, despite it being state funded.

The chapter-9 institutions are supposed to be the pillars of the constitution of South Africa. But, they fail dismally. Most of them follow the wrong course, misleading the people, working for the elite. For example, farm workers, who have been evicted from the land, have no access to land, protection or income. What has the HRC done to improve their lives?

The above-mentioned institutions and the below developments are part of a cesspool of confusion, cunningly concocted to make South Africa ungovernable. President Zuma and the black African leaders of the ANC are then accused of being responsible for said failures.

The leaders of all these institutions, of civil society, media and academia are unknown and unelected media creations.

In all emerging democracies, corrections must take place. The chapter-9 institutions and political and socio-economic developments mentioned in this column are examples of that.

The chapter-9 institutions are not doing what they are meant to do therefore, they are treasonous.

President Jacob Zuma had no part in creating Gautrain, Rea Vaya, e-tolls, or the arms deal. Whose ideas were those then?

This writer was told under condition of anonymity, “Recalled former president Thabo Mbeki and his inner circle included Tokyo Sexwale, Paul Mashathile, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jabu Molekethi.

Together they concocted these structures and benefited handsomely. But, they remain quiet when the media attacks Zuma and his cabinet.”

Attacking Zuma from public platforms and from within the ANC focuses on the destruction of the ANC. The media sees Zuma as the ANC. Meanwhile, president Zuma knows much. He was the first one coming from exile to South Africa. Zuma was intimately involved in the preparations for a negotiated settlement.

The newly found global alliance of BRICS is another hindrance for the local media and its supportive international Western interests.

According to the right-wing imperialists, Jacob Zuma has sided with their enemy — China and Russia and the others. To date, the ANC has not joined the right-wing elements.

Throughout, president Zuma is targeted by right-wing forces, which make him look like a cheap criminal.

Unfortunately, a mischievous Caucasian Western mindset refuses to grasp that the majority of South Africa’s population elected Zuma as their president.

The local population does not believe that Zuma is a common thief as the media makes him out to be.

They identify with him and will protect him. Many believe that the undermining strategies of cunning Western imperialists and their Uncle Toms’ will disappear from Africa, as they eventually will win nothing at all.