The evolution of the ANC excuse

South Africa’s government, the ANC has done a lot right in 20 years of ruling running the country. But they have also done a lot wrong.

However, every wrong was brushed aside with excuses. Rather amusing ones too. Meanwhile, it’s patently obvious ANC politicians reward themselves for every right with self-enrichment. Or because successfully pulling the wool over the eyes of the voting fodder deserves a pat on the back, they’re maybe  rewarding themselves for both. Who knows?

While they initially start with outright denial when confronted, the ANC are growing their list of excuses:

Apartheid

White people, also known as the race card

The Third Force

Colonialism

The official opposition in Government

Apartheid (yes, they use this one liberally)

Jan van Riebeeck

Economic growth

As you can see from the last two, it’s desperate times for the ANC. I’m giggling in anticipation at what they’re going to dream up next.

The most deceitful thing I read today…

Apart from the broken-record rhetoric about why South Africa needs the Media Appeals Tribunal (like another hole in the head), the most disingenuous thing I read today, was that the Nationalization of Mines is indeed on the ANC agenda, just like Julius Malema said it was.

I for one, knew all along that nationalization of mines was something the ANC had up their sleeves, even though various members strongly denied it. I always suspected that Malema was a just a useful tool, who was used to make it seem (to big business and wiser people) that nationalization was something proposed by the youth, and hence coming from ordinary people, as opposed to a government initiative. My suspicions have just become stronger.

Be that as it may, I could not care less if the mines are indeed nationalized. Implemented by an otherwise competent, trustworthy, genuinely democratic government, it has the potential to do good for ordinary people, at the expense of fat-cat, exploitative mine owners off course. What I do care about though, is that this particular proposal by the ANC, will be used to enrich mostly the usual suspects. The poor people who are supposed to benefit, will in all likelihood, hardly see a dime of this goodwill gesture.

If the ANC seriously expects us to believe that they have good intentions with this proposal, given their track record of self-enrichment, they are either diabolically arrogant about their own popularity and benevolence, or monumentally stupid. I’m betting most people don’t think they’re stupid…

The word of the year

I came across a new word today; not a legal word mind you, but bound to become one. It may not be uniquely South African, but is probably practiced here with the sort of aplomb that would put the rest of the world to shame. The word is:

tenderpreneurship

It refers to the unsavory, highly corrupt business practice of self- enrichment through the awarding of government tenders to minions, sympathisers and government officials themselves.

The most recent ANC minion to be exposed is none other than Julius Malema, the wannabe socialist who has been demanding that mines be nationalised, but whose has secret capitalist tendencies. Why are we not surprised?

Any bet that the demand for mines to be nationalised has nothing to do with unlocking wealth for the benefit of the poor, but everything to do with the corrupt ANC-government and its cronies opening up another fat source to steal from?