I carefully placed a question mark at the end of my title because what I know about South Africa could be written on a postage stamp! However, it is the implied conclusion of Andrew Kenny in The Spectator. Correctly, in my opinion, he chastises the 'sainted' Nelson Mandela for failing to stay in the job of president for much longer in order to set South Africa on a better political, economic and social course. Yes, his great act was to ensure that no great blodshed occurred after white rule ended but a truly great leader would have had a wider and deeper vision. Instead, he handed it all over to some real third-raters:
His successor, Thabo Mbeki, ruling from 1999 to 2008, was a neurotic racist with intellectual pretensions. Like Robert Mugabe, he worshipped everything European while deeply resenting it. His racism led him to believe that Aids, then decimating the black population, was caused not by the HIV virus but by some sort of imperialist machination. His denial is estimated to have cost 300,000 lives, nearly all black. (Today 11 per cent of South Africans are infected with HIV.)
Jacob Zuma, the president today, is corrupt, incompetent and likeable. He has no political ideas and simply implements the ANC’s prevailing ideology. He is a master at manipulating the party machine. Staying in power is his only ambition. He has survived scandal after scandal. He rewards political allies through an immense system of patronage, and has composed an enormous cabinet where a multitude of ministers, mainly useless, receive huge salaries. Unlike Mbeki, he is proud of his African culture. He boasts of his many wives (all big, strong, black mammas) and delights in dancing in leopard skins, disporting the big belly that marks the traditional African man of substance. His personal demeanour is humble and endearing. Helen Zille, the leader of the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, was once railing against his abuse of government. The interviewer said: ‘But he’s very charming.’ Zille sighed and said wistfully, ‘Yes, I know.’
The result has been a disaster whose full development has yet to be felt - and my American friends faced with a similar movement 'over there' should take note:
The worst feature of ANC rule has been the continuation of racist policies — Apartheid Part II. They are called ‘Affirmative Action’ and ‘Black Economic Empowerment’. Both promote ‘demographic representivity’. This is the belief that at every level of employment, the percentage of the races should be the same as those in the total population. Since whites are now only 9 per cent of the population (down from 11 per cent when Mandela came to power in 1994), whites should not consist of more than 9 per cent of engineers, managers, doctors and maths teachers. Black Economic Empowerment, which is simply legalised corruption, states that all companies wishing to do business with the government must hand over a proportion of their ownership to black people. Naturally the black people in question are always connected to the ANC: relatives and chums.
In other words, South Africa is headed for the knacker's yard and it is only a matter of time before the genuinely poor in the townships take what passes for the law into their own hands!
And talking of law brings me to the strange case of Mr. Shrein Dewani which came to a conclusion today when a white, lady judge dismissed the prosecution case against him which had maintained that he had arranged the contract killing of his new wife. As it happened I was slumped in my armchair this morning and inbetween snoozing off every so often I actually listened to a great deal of the judge's analysis. If even one quarter of what she said about the chief prosecution witness was true then that unfortunate man obviously missed his true vocation as a politician because he lied, and lied, and lied again, and then, well, he lied some more! Not, I hasten to add, that he was alone in his lying. Mr. Dewani, the acused until this morning, didn't just tell lies - he lived them! He was an active homosexual in the habit of practicing his tastes upon European homosexual prostitute circles.
The South African justice system has only just recently provided some delicious irony when a black lady judge reduced the charges laid against the white 'crip' runner who shot his girlfriend several times through the bathroom door so that he is now serving a fairly minimal term in jail. Today, we had a white lady judge, dressed in all the scarlet finery of a British judge and presumably basing her analysis on British common law, setting free an British Indian accused of arranging the contract killing of his new bride. From what I heard of her summary, she was absolutely right to do so even if it went against all received opinion.
I should hasten to add that I have no view on the rights and wrongs of these various cases because I know virtually nothing about them. Still, I am impressed that amongst the shit and corruption that is modern South Africa, the judges seem determined to maintain their independence irrespective of the howling of the mob.
Roman Dutch Law is the basis of the South African system, not English Common Law: it works rather well and the independent judiciary historically made life difficult for the apartheid government.
Brits watched way too much BBC in the bad old days and never got their smug heads around the fact that the South African reality is and always was very much more complicated and nuanced than the binary Media version.
Yes, the country is stuffed. South Africa used to supply power to the whole of southern Africa, cheaply and efficiently. After transition the ANC ignored a report recommending building new power stations to replace old plus accommodate growth. They did instal well connected bonus trousering nonengineers (current head has a BA ffs) who allowed the system to run into the ground (no maintenance) which it did in 2008 with a repeat currently of "loadshedding" which royally screws every business and home and future investment. No heads will fall and I'm sure Xmas bonuses are safe but hey Zuma is so charming!
Posted by: Ljh | Monday, 08 December 2014 at 19:28
Thanks, Ljh, you have confirmed my ignorance of South Africa and its legal heritage - mea culpa! You also confirm my 'gut feeling' that SA had/has huge potential which has been squandered away by its leaders. Only one phrase sums it up - "Cry the beloved country"!
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 08 December 2014 at 21:16
Another point: South Africa has never done what the world outside expected. Its people remain unPC, utterly sceptical of politicians and accustomed to exercising initiative and improvisation despite the expansion of the state by the ANC. Things may just turn around.
Posted by: Ljh | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 04:41
Well, all my fingers and toes are crossed for you 'down there'. If in the future, Ljh, you feel like writing an occasional guest commentary on South African affairs I will be happy to publish it. My ignorance is woeful!
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 08:54
Yes, Ljh; that would be worth seeing. And my thanks to old Duffy - that great and good man - for offering you the space.
Posted by: Oswald Thake | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 10:03
That's very kind D&N and OT: my return home after 14 years in the UK, paid extraordinarily generously by your national religion and bureaucracy, the NHS, is a liberation. I really like living where selfreliance is a necessary virtue, community is a necessity and where the spirit if not the letter lives when it comes to getting things done. If I feel articulate and think I have some insight I shall try..
Posted by: Ljh | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 11:04
Good show, Ljh, just e-mail them to me (see over on the left) and be assured, of course, that your anonymity will be fully respected. I do think SA is an important entity, not least because of its huge potentiality. It is rarely reported on 'up here', unless it's a 'Shlock-Horror' story like the recent criminal trials, so any insights you might have to interest us will be warmly welcomed.
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 14:22
Yes please Ljh, and as a further enticement - Ol' JK promises to neither comment nor ask questions.
Unless
Our host's question[s] incite me.
Posted by: JK | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 17:59
Here here! Since the end of the Cold War I have to say that I have not kept up with SA. As a bonus, I will not be incited either. But do reserve the right to be excited on proper occasions.
Posted by: Whitewall | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 18:52
Well, aren't we getting very worldly? Branching out indeed.
When you blokes have sorted out Africa have a look at New Guinea. That'll give you something to do.
Posted by: Andra | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 19:48
No, sorry, Andra, isn't it just one big transit camp for Aussie-bound immigrants?
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 09 December 2014 at 20:36