Arrogance gets Lindiwe Sisulu nowhere

There was a joke in political circles about 15 years ago: What is the difference between God and Kader Asmal (then a minister in the ANC government)? The answer: God does not think he is Kader Asmal.

A brilliant minister, Asmal had no doubts about his ability or his opinions and had little tolerance for those he considered fools … and he had a wide definition of a fool.

In some ways, Human Settlements minister Lindiwe Sisulu is like Asmal. Educated, intelligent and erudite, she is a member of President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet who actually does inspire confidence.

Yet, she shows much of the same arrogance and intolerance Asmal did when he was alive. Sisulu has often responded to criticism in her current position – and previous one in the ministry of defence – with anger and diversionary attacks, which has not made her many friends in either politics or the media.

We think that her conceit, particularly because she sometimes comes across as if she is political royalty (hailing as she does from the activist Sisulu family), led her to believe that she had a realistic chance of winning the race for the ANC presidency. She does not.

That’s because, a few ANC Women’s League branches notwithstanding, she does not have the sort of grassroots support – or even appeal – that someone like Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, one of the actual frontrunners for the post, does.

So, it was more than surprising to see her offering Cyril Ramaphosa the post of deputy on her slate. A bit like the mouse and the elephant …

That must have been insulting to Ramaphosa, so it was no surprise that, when he revealed his slate, Sisulu had been replaced as nominee for the ANC deputy president’s job by Naledi Pandor.

We hope that missed opportunity for Sisulu does not turn into a missed opportunity for the country …

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.