ANC is a shadow of its former self

Happy birthday ANC! For years the ANC was above any other liberation movement in Africa and globally. Chief Albert Luthuli and Nelson Mandela are global icons in the league of Lenin, Fidel Castro, Julius Nyerere and a long list of others.
For 95 years, this great movement has been a custodian of non-racialism, selfless struggle, gender equality and moral and ethical leadership. It produced policies and programmes that advanced our national democratic revolution.
Today, the ANC is a shadow of its former self, determined to lose honour, prestige, respect and love of democracy to protect one powerful individual and his cronies who find warmth beneath him.
For 95 years, ANC feared embarrassment of any kind. Today, this movement that produced exemplars of moral leadership is consumed by internal contradictions emanating from factionalism, cronyism, nepotism, enrichment and bribery. Gone are the years when ANC isolated corrupt leaders in its ranks.
The president has been denying that his Inkandla mansion was built from taxpayers money, until progressive officials began leaking details. We now know that “Inkandleyihlekisa” upgrade exceeded security upgrades at the homes of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. In their rationality, security cluster ministers are convinced that South Africans are morons. To them, president Zuma must be protected at all costs even if the ANC loses its morality, ethics, prestige, honour and wisdom.
As we celebrate 20 years of democracy, it cannot be that pickpocketing of the public purse is legitimized by protecting Number One. If Bheki Cele, Dina Pule, Humphrey Mmemezi, and Sicelo Shiceka were removed, what about “Number One?” Those who protect him are “counter-revolutionaries”. Let us compare and contrast what “Number One” did, with the deeds of Zwelinzima Vavi. No president after 1994 enriched his family like Number One.
As we celebrate 20 years of democracy, ANC turning 102 and waiting the final report by the Public Protector on “Inkandleyihlekisa”, we now know why the Scorpions were murdered at Polokwane and buried at Mangaung and why the security cluster had to be Zulufied. We South Africans must protect Adv. Thuli Madonsela if Zumanists begin stoning her.
SIYANDA MHLONGO
KwaDukuza