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André Sonnichsen on "Thabo Mbeki's fall: the ANC and South Africa's democracy "

André Sonnichsen — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:55:19 +0000

I am decidedly more upbeat about the current developments, which potentially mark a serious step in the right direction for SA politics. I would like to make three points which back this up from a sociological perspective as a supplement to Southall's institutional analysis:

1. The class tensions in the ANC are now very close to being openly reflected at the level of party formation. This will in likelyhood shift the 'old' ANC to the left as Cosatu and the SACP regain the influence they lost under Mbeki's tenure and since the adoption of GEAR in 1996. This will satisfy a significant section of the electorate, who have not yet materially felt the end of apartheid, namely (pro-Zuma sections of) the urban poor and rural ditto. It is much better to have the hopes and frustrations of this constituency channelled into a 'left-wing' party in a multiparty democracy than have them opt out of the democratic system because a broad church ANC organising on the basis of democratic centralism cannot express the particularity of their frustrations.

2. The generally exaggerated focus on the verbal excesses of the ANCYL, ANCWL and the like, whilst obviously problematic, should not cause needless panic. The ANC, at leadership level, is consistently sustaining the legitimacy of a multi-party spectrum and Lekota's rights here. Likewise, whereas the rulings of the courts are given skewed interpretations by the warring parties, the fact of the matter is, that court rulings have now brought down both a vice-president and a president. In both cases, the mere judicial allegation (both formally untested) of misconduct has proved to be enough. These factors indicate commitment to both pluralism and the seperation of powers. As Southall points out, the SA constitution is the ANC's most significant historical achievement.

3. The Zuma-Mbeki power struggle has been intensely personalised because it has been difficult to accommodate substantially varying political positions within the framework of the ANC as a unified organisation. In this sense, the 'old' ANC and the doctrine of the unity of the oppressed in their support of the National Democratic Revolution has become a restriction on the further pluralisation and democratisation of SA. The Zuma-Mbeki divide signifies a much deeper social and political divided, whose recent increased visibility is a massive advance. Given the symbolic gravity of the ANC, we should not underestimate the format of Lekota's decision, emphasized by a comparative look at other liberation movements after their triumphs against colonialism.

One last point of caution: the split is productive to the extent that the ANC constituency does not divide on regional and/or ethnic lines. Sadly, history reveals that there is no necessarily progressive politics that emerges from marginalisation or empoverishment. Reactionary responses are just as common. (See recent xenophobia). Any progressive politics must always be won. On this point Zuma and parts of his constituency are currently lacking. Hopefully the historical intellectual format of the 'old' ANC will bring him on course. Lekota is far stronger on this point, but the challenge he faces in building a mass-based party is the plausible equation between his grouping and 'the elite', despite his attempts at representing the 'real' ANC.

Not logged in Lawrence Efana on "Thabo Mbeki's fall: the ANC and South Africa's democracy "

Not logged in Lawrence Efana — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:05:44 +0000

An article likely to arouse the interests of political scholars and legal experts on a range of issues cutting across:

(a) The rule of law - closely defined by separation of powers challenged by likely attitudes of observers, reference: matters of the judiciary, the legislature and of-course, the executive power - may be why one could agree with the commentator above, that it would appear that constitutional issues are partly central in this typical South African party-system drama. The major problem however seems to have been the way these outplayed themselves through the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and there on to "feud" the party, central government politics and the representative body - the parliament, etc., on allegations of corruption and use of power.

(b) (Perhaps) also the culture of comparison for those engaged with politics in theory.

While the first (a) features strongly in the paper, two points by the writer make the second (b), no less important even if latent in the analysis. Both points are respectively:

(i) The implication tied to arguments that the South African constitution based on what appears to be contradictions of the Mbeki removal from office and ANC-party stand for Zuma as a future president, the electorate is denied hands in preparing the grounds for making the president - therefore, whether wise to consider US-style primaries a future option in handling selection of party presidential candidates?

(ii) What the chances are [to deal effectively] with problems of the kind South Africa is experiencing within political system frames: defined commonly as 'presidential' and 'parliamentary' - why the author makes an issue of the "Westminster" triumph over "Washington"?

Notwithstanding the rationality of comparing and drawing whatever conclusion, for South Africa's new life with democratic process, after having lived through the phases of lessons and constitutions, this ANC shake-up presents a new situation likely to intensify discourses simultaneously as compel asking: if "there is a sense of 'two wrongs' that do not make a right"?

Adherence to constitutional rules and parliamentary practices represents one thing and manpower capacity-building problems, pursuit of neo-liberal politics in the face of poverty and extreme inequality - all important frustrating political factors announce that the new is not yet born in South Africa, as elsewhere] with no lesser conflicting consequences! South Africa's 'party-system'- its entanglement with the 'state' and the lessons thereof, because of ANC's formidable strength is to be continuously appraised in the light of respect for natural characteristics of local politics definition of short-cuts thereon. How far these mean the consummation of constitution is carefully argued by Roger Southall - what makes this an educative article about ongoing learning to mobilize hope for a socially equitable rainbow society as an informed reality of a challenging magnitude. Peace and solidarity need be put before all else - a personal opinion!

Lawrence Efana [Finland]

Paddy Apling on "Thabo Mbeki's fall: the ANC and South Africa's democracy "

Paddy Apling — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:31:02 +0000

This article intentionally concerns itself with constitutional issuesm but seems to rather ignore the important issues in the background, which are surprisingly similar to the feelings among American blacks in 1967 (or thereabouts) which led to the Watts riots after very considerable advances against the American Jim-Crow attitudes and laws in the years immediately before Watts.

The change from Apartheid to ANC rule was hailed as the "coming of Jerusalem", but the imposition of the "absolute free market" policies - now blowing up in the face of their exponents in America and Europe - have benefited only a very small minority of the black community, those who have embraced that "get rich" policy just to enrich themselves.

An important background is which class in the ANC to support - the poor (mainly black), or the rich (still mainly white).

hstoor on "openDemocracy's beta launch"

hstoor — Sun, 06 May 2007 00:37:33 +0000

The picture shown in this article, "Jihad�: idea and history, is of a Sikh General who fought against the tyrants. It is totally wrong to put up a picture withoutlooking at the history. This distorts the whole view point. I will suggest that a proper search should be done before an article is printed. I have been reading the articles in opendemocracy for a long time and are generally informative.

These are the issues which the western society needs to address. This will take care of a lot of irritations.

luisdavid on "openDemocracy's beta launch"

luisdavid — Fri, 04 May 2007 23:32:00 +0000

Dear Felix Cohen,

In general, the way the open democracy site looks like improved a lot.

By the way, what about a section targeted to the foreign readers like me?

Best regards,

Luis David Saraiva Grivol.

(S�o Paulo - BRAZIL)