What ensues when the wrong persons say and do what appears righteous?
Issues that require note is Pres. Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle and Premiers Zille’s praise of colonialism.
Logic advises that Pres. Zuma would reshuffle cabinet to rid himself of detractors. Former Finance Minister Gordhan was a problem for Zuma who wanted to proceed with his agenda of state capture masquerading as “radical economic transformation”. The markets and investors did not react to Pres. Zuma as they anticipated the cabinet reshuffle. The markets had months ago adjusted to the inevitability as investors, by nature are not stupid people. Wealthy people are far ahead in thinking and planning compared to those who do not have serious money at risk when politicians play games.
Far above the thinking of regular people, power obsessed black politicians and wealthy white people are fighting over money. While politicians consider new plans to steal from tired rate and tax payers, their corporate equals similarly introduce new schemes to increase the cost of goods and services.
Forget former Min Gordhan, forget ratings agents and downgrades, we know that President Zuma’s version of “Radical Economic Transformation” is a joke. What ordinary people must ask is, how is the removal or the Zumafication of the state going to improve our reality. Will we have access to better health care and services, will food and clothes be cheaper, will safety and security improve or not?
Similarly, governing where scars of colonialism is evident and then praising colonialism is “not cool”.
Example, the Cape Malays resisted Dutch colonialism in the Malay/Indonesian archipelago. For their struggle they were deported to Cape Town, enslaved and used to benefit colonialism. Slaves could not worship the God of Abraham freely. The Malay and other slaves built the historic Cape Town. On freedom from slavery they created wealth which was then stolen via Apartheid -Group Areas Act etc.
Today the contribution of the Cape Malay is removed from history. The Malay choirs that preserved the culture cannot afford a suitable venue because Cape Town is expensive. A culture that survived slavery, colonialism and Apartheid is obliterated because of a lack of money.
While economic transformation is required Pres. Zuma lacks historic integrity to lead the campaign. Also, while colonialism did have benefits, Premier Zille was the wrong person to praise colonialism.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress