by Peter Kimemia

The undignified exit to which Thabo Mbeki was subjected by his party, the ANC, has exposed the soft underbelly of our system that allows major political decisions to be made by a cabal of political operatives, with no reference to the tax-paying citizenry.

The argument that this was democracy at work is an insult to people’s intelligence. For quite some time now the grand old ANC has been hurtling down the path of self-destruction through greed-driven vendettas and acts of vengeance that run the risk of turning the party into a Mickey-Mouse outfit.

We do not hold brief for Mr Mbeki, but the manner in which he was hounded out of office just a couple of months before the general elections smacks of a blistering commitment to retribution at whatever cost.

Considering that he was ostensibly ousted for interfering with the Judiciary and therefore violating the crucial principle of separation of powers between the Executive and the Judiciary, it is still baffling that the ANC could not see the contradiction of its actions – especially since its leadership had been embroiled in an unprecedented Judiciary-bashing spree over a couple of weeks before the September 12 ruling by Judge Nicholson.

Seemingly, the good Judge’s comments from the bench provided the perfect excuse to the party barons to twist the knife that had already been thrust into the back of its president way before the fact.

Some may view Mr Mbeki as having invited the wrath upon himself through acts of commission and omission – what with his stance on the HIV/Aids and Zimbabwe issues and his alleged dalliance with big businesses at the expense of the poor.

Still, there is a need for even-handedness in the manner in which “punishment” is meted out. In spite of his frailties on some fronts, Mbeki is credited for having presided over the longest period of sustained economic growth since the Second World War.

Indeed, his party has already declared that it does not intend to change the trend, and will seek to build on this apparent success. It is true that the benefits of this growth might not have trickled down as fast as everybody would have wanted. But public policy tools cannot be overly manipulated in one direction without upsetting the structure that makes possible redistribution and equitable development. It is dishonest to suggest otherwise.

Quite often, the world over, the political elite lace their power games with high-sounding rhetoric aimed at galvanising support from gullible voters. While this strategy works in the short term, it breeds disillusionment in the long term as voters realise they have been duped through populist gibberish.

Perhaps it is about time the ANC faced some real political competition. It has been a rather monolithic political landscape and the party is clearly tired of the single-party status gratuitously offered by long-suffering voters and inadvertently buttressed by a fractious opposition.

A stronger opposition will help check the excesses and dominance of the ANC. It will result in more respect for the general public, less violent talk, and a wider choice. Most of all, it will lead to a more responsive body politic focused on the bigger picture of a better life for all, rather than personalised squabbles borne of competition for positions in order to plunder state resources.

Transformer Vol. 14 No. 5 Oct-Nov 2008