| MONTHLY NEWS - December 2007 |
| THIS IS PAGE 13 OF DECEMBER 2007 MONTHLY NEWS - MonNewsDEC13 |
POLITICIANS AND PRIVATE LIVES
The issue of politicians private lives and how much of those private lives are matters which the media should report on
is an age old ethical issue for journalists.
We do not believe that any hard and fast rules can be laid down, and believe that a 'one-size' fits all approach is inappropriate.
However, in looking at any particular intrusion into the private lives of a politician, there are a number of guiding questions
that need to be asked.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but those guiding questions include :
1. Did the politician place their private life in the public domain ?
Premier Morris Iemma certainly placed his private life in the public domain. He carefully crafted a public persona as a 'family man' and a 'caring
dad'. This included,unfortunately we believe, having photographs taken of him picnicking on Australia Day on a picnic rug with his wife and
kiddies and the publication in the media of these photographs.
With this deliberately crafted public persona, if he was to have an "affair" - in our view, it would be ethically proper for the media to report on
that. More troubling, is the situation with his children who he 'dragged into' his public campaign to establish his family friendly persona. If one of
the children ran off the rails - would that be reportable, perhaps on the basis that Mr Iemma's prescription that people be home at family
friendly hours, read bedtime stories to their kids and tuck them into bed - had failed to prevent a kid running off the rails.
2. Do the public actions or public pronouncements of the politician conflict with his/her private life ?
If the answer is yes, that area of the politicians private life in conflict with the public acts is ethically fully reportable. For example a politician
who voted against the 2003 Crimes Amendment Act, yet had a penchant for boys under the age of 18 years, can hardly expect that section of
her/his private life to go unreported.
NOW RECENTLY we have some parts of politicians private lives being reported on by the media.
The most note-worthy is the Phil Koperberg case. To a large extent, the disclosure of matters relating to his "private" life,
is collateral damage arising out of the actions of the Premier, and the continuation of the story is collateral damage to the
Premier's handling of the situation.
In 2007 Premier Iemma has made public pronouncements :
Therefore, when allegations arose concerning Mr Koperberg, the Premier's treatment of Mr Koperberg became a hot issue. His treatment of
Mr Koperberg was inconsistent with his previous public pronouncements, particularly as the Premier had apparently been aware of the details
of the allegations since November 2006 (prior to his 2007 pronouncements).
The story concerning Mr Koperberg's present relationship ( Sun-Herald, Meet Koperberg's flame ), unless fed to the media by Mr Koperberg
himself to 'de-demonise' himself, tests the boundaries of proper reporting. Perhaps it is justifiable on the basis that Mr Koperberg appears to
have taken up residence outside his electorate, and in the suburb of Shell Cove, south of Wollongong. Mr Koperberg's place of residence, is
something the community of the Blue Mountains is entitled to know about.
An article concerning the early life of Steve Cansdell, MP ( Sun-Herald, MP reveals traumatic early years ), we assume was fed to the media by
Mr Cansdell, and amounts to 'self-disclosure'. The story is perhaps significant because it shows that for "victims", there is an alternative path
open to them, other than becoming a "victim". That is not to say that the path taken by Mr Cansdell, is one that every victim can actually travel
down. What it says is that if you are blessed with the pyschological make-up that Mr Cansdell obviously was - there is another way. Everyone
has a different pyschological make-up, and different people react to the same set of circumstances in different ways.
Then there is the article about Mr John Howard playing golf. As a former politician, it is hard to see how his private life is now relevant to the
Australian scene.
Of course one of the most recent high profile cases that raised the conundrum between public/private lives of politicians was the Spokesman
Review saga regarding Spokane Mayor Jim West.
SOURCES :
Lisa Carty , Meet Koperberg's flame, Sun-Herald, 9 Decmber 2007 p. [ online ]
Lisa Carty, Political career in complete tatters , Sun-Herald, 9 December, 2007 p. [ online ]
Lisa Carty , MP reveals traumatic early years , Sun-Herald, 2 December 2007 p.31 [ online ]
Jason Koutsoukis, A life more ordinary as Howard goes green at last, Sun-Herald, 9 December 2007 [ online ]
A SPOKESMAN-REVIEW INVESTIGATIVE REPORT, Spokesman Review website [ online ]
Koperberg: Timetable of allegations, Daily Telegraph, 3 December 2007 [ online ]
The issue of politicians private lives and how much of those private lives are matters which the media should report on
is an age old ethical issue for journalists.
We do not believe that any hard and fast rules can be laid down, and believe that a 'one-size' fits all approach is inappropriate.
However, in looking at any particular intrusion into the private lives of a politician, there are a number of guiding questions
that need to be asked.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but those guiding questions include :
1. Did the politician place their private life in the public domain ?
Premier Morris Iemma certainly placed his private life in the public domain. He carefully crafted a public persona as a 'family man' and a 'caring
dad'. This included,unfortunately we believe, having photographs taken of him picnicking on Australia Day on a picnic rug with his wife and
kiddies and the publication in the media of these photographs.
With this deliberately crafted public persona, if he was to have an "affair" - in our view, it would be ethically proper for the media to report on
that. More troubling, is the situation with his children who he 'dragged into' his public campaign to establish his family friendly persona. If one of
the children ran off the rails - would that be reportable, perhaps on the basis that Mr Iemma's prescription that people be home at family
friendly hours, read bedtime stories to their kids and tuck them into bed - had failed to prevent a kid running off the rails.
2. Do the public actions or public pronouncements of the politician conflict with his/her private life ?
If the answer is yes, that area of the politicians private life in conflict with the public acts is ethically fully reportable. For example a politician
who voted against the 2003 Crimes Amendment Act, yet had a penchant for boys under the age of 18 years, can hardly expect that section of
her/his private life to go unreported.
NOW RECENTLY we have some parts of politicians private lives being reported on by the media.
The most note-worthy is the Phil Koperberg case. To a large extent, the disclosure of matters relating to his "private" life,
is collateral damage arising out of the actions of the Premier, and the continuation of the story is collateral damage to the
Premier's handling of the situation.
In 2007 Premier Iemma has made public pronouncements :
- Female bashers are "cowards"
- He is the enemy of female bashers
- He will not sit in parliament with a female basher
- Female bashers are not fit to be MPs
- Alleged female bashers are not fit to be in the ministry, and even though they deny the allegations and after a police investigation the
police refuse to lay charges, they remain unfit to hold a position in the ministry.
Therefore, when allegations arose concerning Mr Koperberg, the Premier's treatment of Mr Koperberg became a hot issue. His treatment of
Mr Koperberg was inconsistent with his previous public pronouncements, particularly as the Premier had apparently been aware of the details
of the allegations since November 2006 (prior to his 2007 pronouncements).
The story concerning Mr Koperberg's present relationship ( Sun-Herald, Meet Koperberg's flame ), unless fed to the media by Mr Koperberg
himself to 'de-demonise' himself, tests the boundaries of proper reporting. Perhaps it is justifiable on the basis that Mr Koperberg appears to
have taken up residence outside his electorate, and in the suburb of Shell Cove, south of Wollongong. Mr Koperberg's place of residence, is
something the community of the Blue Mountains is entitled to know about.
An article concerning the early life of Steve Cansdell, MP ( Sun-Herald, MP reveals traumatic early years ), we assume was fed to the media by
Mr Cansdell, and amounts to 'self-disclosure'. The story is perhaps significant because it shows that for "victims", there is an alternative path
open to them, other than becoming a "victim". That is not to say that the path taken by Mr Cansdell, is one that every victim can actually travel
down. What it says is that if you are blessed with the pyschological make-up that Mr Cansdell obviously was - there is another way. Everyone
has a different pyschological make-up, and different people react to the same set of circumstances in different ways.
Then there is the article about Mr John Howard playing golf. As a former politician, it is hard to see how his private life is now relevant to the
Australian scene.
Of course one of the most recent high profile cases that raised the conundrum between public/private lives of politicians was the Spokesman
Review saga regarding Spokane Mayor Jim West.
SOURCES :
Lisa Carty , Meet Koperberg's flame, Sun-Herald, 9 Decmber 2007 p. [ online ]
Lisa Carty, Political career in complete tatters , Sun-Herald, 9 December, 2007 p. [ online ]
Lisa Carty , MP reveals traumatic early years , Sun-Herald, 2 December 2007 p.31 [ online ]
Jason Koutsoukis, A life more ordinary as Howard goes green at last, Sun-Herald, 9 December 2007 [ online ]
A SPOKESMAN-REVIEW INVESTIGATIVE REPORT, Spokesman Review website [ online ]
Koperberg: Timetable of allegations, Daily Telegraph, 3 December 2007 [ online ]
BODY TRAP FOR BOYS
Simon Castles writes an interesting piece on the "body myth" :
The Mission Australia survey of 28,000 young people aged 11 to 24 found that body image
was a significant concern for 34.9% of females and 27.9% of males. Next to body worries,
issues such as family conflict, school problems, suicide and the environment were all secondary.
So how is it that young men increasingly find themselves where young women have long
been — oppressed by ornamental culture?
OF course body tyranny has been the major concern of many men in the gay community for
decades, and the recent survey results come as no surprise to members of that community.
Like, in most things including fashion, culture, music etc the gay community leads the straight community.
The time-gap however is narrowing.
SOURCES :
Simon Castles, Boys now feel the pressure of the beauty myth, Sunday Age,
9 December 2007 p. [ online ]
Simon Castles writes an interesting piece on the "body myth" :
The Mission Australia survey of 28,000 young people aged 11 to 24 found that body image
was a significant concern for 34.9% of females and 27.9% of males. Next to body worries,
issues such as family conflict, school problems, suicide and the environment were all secondary.
So how is it that young men increasingly find themselves where young women have long
been — oppressed by ornamental culture?
OF course body tyranny has been the major concern of many men in the gay community for
decades, and the recent survey results come as no surprise to members of that community.
Like, in most things including fashion, culture, music etc the gay community leads the straight community.
The time-gap however is narrowing.
SOURCES :
Simon Castles, Boys now feel the pressure of the beauty myth, Sunday Age,
9 December 2007 p. [ online ]
UNIONS MAY FORCE SPECIAL CONFERENCE ON ELECTRICITY
Expectations are that on Monday 10 December 2007, Cabinet will meet to formulate a proposal for the sell-off of
NSW's electricity assets, and then take such proposal to a caucus meeting for endorsement.
It is expected that the Right wing numbers will crunch the proposal through.
But , Ben Kruse general secretary of the United Services Union says unions want a special conference to debate
the "sell-off" :-
"If the Cabinet bullies the caucus to push this through, we will be calling for a special conference to be held where
a full and proper debate can take place. This proposal is going to result in the loss of thousands of jobs, prices
being jacked up and the end of an income stream to the Government. It's just a quick cash grab that has
not been properly debated."
SOURCES :
Linda Silmalis, Koperberg wife in hiding, Sunday Telegraph, 9 December 2007 p. [ online ]
Expectations are that on Monday 10 December 2007, Cabinet will meet to formulate a proposal for the sell-off of
NSW's electricity assets, and then take such proposal to a caucus meeting for endorsement.
It is expected that the Right wing numbers will crunch the proposal through.
But , Ben Kruse general secretary of the United Services Union says unions want a special conference to debate
the "sell-off" :-
"If the Cabinet bullies the caucus to push this through, we will be calling for a special conference to be held where
a full and proper debate can take place. This proposal is going to result in the loss of thousands of jobs, prices
being jacked up and the end of an income stream to the Government. It's just a quick cash grab that has
not been properly debated."
SOURCES :
Linda Silmalis, Koperberg wife in hiding, Sunday Telegraph, 9 December 2007 p. [ online ]
BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE
The Sun-Herald on 9 December 2007, British fixing scandal won't affect me : racing boss, carries a story
by racing writer Craig Young about charges against Keiren Fallon, where it was alleged he had conspired
to defraud Betfair punters in 27 races which were said to have been fixed. The judge said there was no
case to answer and threw the charges out.
SEE ALSO : Nina Goswami, 5 Paper Buildings loses Betfair fraud case , 7 December 2007 [ online ]
Racing NSW Chief Stipendiary Steward, Ray Murrihy was called by the prosecution as an "expert witness".
In summary, his evidence was that he had viewed the film of the 27 races. He said he would have ordered
an inquiry into 13 of the 27 races, with nothing he observed in 14 races that caused him concern.
Of course Mr Murrihy's evidence had significant limitations - he had no knowledge of the form, racing
patterns or other peculiarities of the horses involved in the races. Perhaps if he had that knowledge
things would have been different. However, he was giving his evidence honestly based on his
undoubted expertise as a steward in Australia, and the limited information he had available to him in
relation to the British races. No one could expect more.
THIS story reminded me of a book I read some years back (which I lent to an acquaintance and have never seen again). The story (fact not
fiction) still haunts me.
Jonathan Manley was convicted in the NSW Supreme Court ( largely on the basis of evidence given by British medical experts ) of the murder
of his 22 month old son.
After spending some 12 months in gaol, his appeal to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal was successful. The conviction was overturned and a
verdict of acquittal was entered.
His release from prison was no doubt a welcome relief. However, he had lost everything as a result of the charge and original verdict. He had
lost his home which was sold to pay the lawyers. He lost his job. He had every reason to be bitter and full of hatred towards the "system". On
reading the book, however, one gets the impression that he is neither bitter or full of hatred, but rather steadfastly resolved in his belief in
himself and an earnest hope that the same should never happen to anyone else.
The prosecution of him, appears to be a case of "expert shopping". Numerous experts were approached. The prosecution had to bring an
expert from Britain for the court case. No Australian expert would give the opinion that the prosecution wanted - to secure a conviction.
One reviewer has described the book thus :
For any parent to have a child die is a terrible thing. For a parent to be wrongly convicted of the murder of their child is doubly cruel. On 29th
November 1990, 22 month old Harry Manley died. His parents, still grieving for their child, were to be catapulted into a legal nightmare when
Jonathon Manley was later charged with the murder of their son. Manley was convicted of murder and sentenced to 12 and a half years
imprisonment. Four years later, the conviction was quashed. This is the true story of Jonathon Manley and his struggle to prove his innocence.
Tim Anderson wrote :
If it is found the evidence is fabricated or if the prosecution misconducts itself, then compensation would be paid. The Attorney General [ Jeff Shaw ] said this
when rejecting a compensation claim by Jonathan Manley, who was acquitted of murder by the Court of Criminal Appeal, on the grounds that the verdict was
unsafe and unsatisfactory. Manley had spent 12 months in prison and was acquitted because the case against him was hopelessly weak. Had there been a
finding of fabricated evidence, then, according to Shaw, Manley may have been compensated. However this distinction has no real relevance to the actual
wrong suffered by Manley.
The book is held by the Mitchell Library.:
Jonathan Manley (1998) Enemies without cause : convicted, imprisoned, innocent / Jonathon Manley, HarperCollins, Pymble
ISBN 073225972X :
Dewey 346.9440334
Bib Util 13767722
SOURCES :
Craig Young, British fixing scandal won't affect me: racing boss,Sun-Herald, 9 December 2007 p. 15 [ online ]
R v Manley (2000) 49 NSWLR 203 .
The Sun-Herald on 9 December 2007, British fixing scandal won't affect me : racing boss, carries a story
by racing writer Craig Young about charges against Keiren Fallon, where it was alleged he had conspired
to defraud Betfair punters in 27 races which were said to have been fixed. The judge said there was no
case to answer and threw the charges out.
SEE ALSO : Nina Goswami, 5 Paper Buildings loses Betfair fraud case , 7 December 2007 [ online ]
Racing NSW Chief Stipendiary Steward, Ray Murrihy was called by the prosecution as an "expert witness".
In summary, his evidence was that he had viewed the film of the 27 races. He said he would have ordered
an inquiry into 13 of the 27 races, with nothing he observed in 14 races that caused him concern.
Of course Mr Murrihy's evidence had significant limitations - he had no knowledge of the form, racing
patterns or other peculiarities of the horses involved in the races. Perhaps if he had that knowledge
things would have been different. However, he was giving his evidence honestly based on his
undoubted expertise as a steward in Australia, and the limited information he had available to him in
relation to the British races. No one could expect more.
THIS story reminded me of a book I read some years back (which I lent to an acquaintance and have never seen again). The story (fact not
fiction) still haunts me.
Jonathan Manley was convicted in the NSW Supreme Court ( largely on the basis of evidence given by British medical experts ) of the murder
of his 22 month old son.
After spending some 12 months in gaol, his appeal to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal was successful. The conviction was overturned and a
verdict of acquittal was entered.
His release from prison was no doubt a welcome relief. However, he had lost everything as a result of the charge and original verdict. He had
lost his home which was sold to pay the lawyers. He lost his job. He had every reason to be bitter and full of hatred towards the "system". On
reading the book, however, one gets the impression that he is neither bitter or full of hatred, but rather steadfastly resolved in his belief in
himself and an earnest hope that the same should never happen to anyone else.
The prosecution of him, appears to be a case of "expert shopping". Numerous experts were approached. The prosecution had to bring an
expert from Britain for the court case. No Australian expert would give the opinion that the prosecution wanted - to secure a conviction.
One reviewer has described the book thus :
For any parent to have a child die is a terrible thing. For a parent to be wrongly convicted of the murder of their child is doubly cruel. On 29th
November 1990, 22 month old Harry Manley died. His parents, still grieving for their child, were to be catapulted into a legal nightmare when
Jonathon Manley was later charged with the murder of their son. Manley was convicted of murder and sentenced to 12 and a half years
imprisonment. Four years later, the conviction was quashed. This is the true story of Jonathon Manley and his struggle to prove his innocence.
Tim Anderson wrote :
If it is found the evidence is fabricated or if the prosecution misconducts itself, then compensation would be paid. The Attorney General [ Jeff Shaw ] said this
when rejecting a compensation claim by Jonathan Manley, who was acquitted of murder by the Court of Criminal Appeal, on the grounds that the verdict was
unsafe and unsatisfactory. Manley had spent 12 months in prison and was acquitted because the case against him was hopelessly weak. Had there been a
finding of fabricated evidence, then, according to Shaw, Manley may have been compensated. However this distinction has no real relevance to the actual
wrong suffered by Manley.
The book is held by the Mitchell Library.:
Jonathan Manley (1998) Enemies without cause : convicted, imprisoned, innocent / Jonathon Manley, HarperCollins, Pymble
ISBN 073225972X :
Dewey 346.9440334
Bib Util 13767722
SOURCES :
Craig Young, British fixing scandal won't affect me: racing boss,Sun-Herald, 9 December 2007 p. 15 [ online ]
R v Manley (2000) 49 NSWLR 203 .
HEAT BEING APPLIED IN SOUTH AFRICA
The African National Congress (ANC) is holding it's national conference
in Limpopo, 16-20 December 2007. The national conference is held every
5 years.
The conference will elect the ANC's next president.
Incumbent President Thabo Mbeki ( South Africa's President) is being
challenged by Vice-President Jacob Zuma. It is a hard fought campaign.
Apart from being the President of the ANC party, the President of the ANC
can expect to be appointed the country's president. Mr Mbeki is into his
second term as South Africa's president. The South African constitution
prohibits a person serving as President for more than 2 terms. If Mr Mbeki
wins another term as ANC President, it is expected he will appoint a stooge
to the position of South African President , when he retires in 2009 -
and effectively rule the country from his position as ANC President.
Now Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is attempting to broker a peace deal by
which each of Mbeki and Zuma will remain in their respective roles for 5 years,
when they will both quit and hand over to the next generation.
Madikizela-Mandela told the Sunday Times yesterday that she was
“deeply hurt” by the divisions in the ANC “where sister is attacking
sister and comrades are at each others’ throats”.
“I have been a member of the ANC for more than 50 years and there
have been many contestations in the past, but never has it been
characterised by such a high level of acrimony, personal attacks,
accusations and counter-accusations and a total disregard for the
ANC and what it stands for by both sides.” (1)
In KwaZulu-Natal, Mbeki supporters have been circulating e-mails, letters and SMS messages to delegates attacking Zuma’s fitness to
govern.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Senzo Mchunu said the letters showed “just how far some of our comrades have sunk”. (1)
President Thabo Mbeki has now released to the media details of 'private discussions' he had with Zuma in 2005. (2)
The whole process has caused comedians to have a field day.
The satirist in South Africa today has become probably more of a psychiatrist than an entertainer," reflects comedian Pieter-Dirk
Uys, whose female alter-ego Evita Bezuidenhout has kept generations of South Africans in stitches.
"There is something very therapeutic about laughing at fear," he told AFP.
In a frocked and bejewelled appearance at the Cape Town Press Club, Bezuidenhout had her audience rolling with laughter when
she recently launched a mock bid for the South African presidency.
Known fondly as "Tannie (Auntie) Evita," the 72-year-old fictional grand dame married an apartheid-era National Party cabinet
minister and was herself an ambassador for the whites-only regime before swearing off her theoretically bigoted ways.
She claimed to enjoy the company of polygamist Zuma, saying: "He has always treated me with great respect, although I've never
been alone with him in a room for more than a minute."
Zuma, she added, "always asks me to call him by his Zulu name, Innocent."
On Mbeki, generally perceived as an aloof autocrat, she declined to go into detail "because as you know there is no detail".
The apartheid regime had done Mbeki a disfavour, she added, for not having jailed him and thus robbing him of struggle credentials.
"Everybody in the ANC was in jail, following Nelson Mandela's example. As a young man, Thabo Mbeki threw stones at police cars and
the police threw them right back. We didn't think he was important."
While Mbeki had no sense of humour and Zuma laughed only because he was the joker, South Africa's first black president Nelson
Mandela understood the value of a good laugh, said Bezuidenhout.
"To form a government with the people who locked you up requires one hell of a sense of humour."
Added Bezuidenhout: "The day we allow democracy to happen behind closed doors is the day we go back to the old days. Nobody
wants to go back."
Keeping South Africans interested and engaged was the only way to fight this phenomenon, she said, and vowed to keep doing her
part. (3)
The Johannesburg High Court refused to grant an order to have the ANC congress postponed for six months, when it handed down a decision
on 7 December 2007. It had been argued it was necessary to postpone because party infighting had made it impossible to hold the five-day
event. (4)
In an article in the ANC newsletter - ANC Today - President Mbeki wrote :
Yet another document, Through the Eye of a Needle?, ........ says, among other things:
"Because leadership in structures of the ANC affords opportunities to assume positions of authority in government, some individuals
then compete for ANC leadership positions in order to get into government. Many such members view positions in government as a
source of material riches for themselves. Thus resources, prestige and authority of government positions become the driving force in
competition for leadership positions in the ANC.
"Government positions also go hand-in-hand with the possibility to issue contracts to commercial companies. Some of these
companies identify ANC members that they can promote in ANC structures and into government, so that they can get contracts by
hook or by crook. This is done through media networks to discredit other leaders, or even by buying membership cards to set up
branches that are ANC only in name.
"Positions in government also mean the possibility to appoint individuals in all kinds of capacities. As such, some members make
promises to friends, that once elected and ensconced in government, they would return the favour. Cliques and factions then
emerge within the movement, around personal loyalties driven by corrupt intentions. Members become voting fodder to serve
individuals' self-interest. (5)
AND WHO SAID SOUTH AFRICA HAS NOTHING IN COMMON WITH NSW ???
SOURCES :
( 1 ) Moipone Malefane, Dominic Mahlangu, Ndivhuho Mafela, Mpumelelo Mkhabela and Paddy Harper, Winnie enters the fray ,
Sunday Times , 9 December, 2007 p.1 [ online ]
( 2 ) ‘What Zuma told me about the conspiracy’ , Sunday Times, 9 December 2007 [ online ]
( 3 ) South African politics are a joke, seriously , AFP, 9 December 2007 [ online ]
( 4 ) Paul Simao, Mandela ex-wife to propose ANC leadership deal - paper, ReutersAfrica , 9 December 2007 [ online ]
( 5 ) ANC Today, Volume 7, No. 48 • 7—13 December 2007
The African National Congress (ANC) is holding it's national conference
in Limpopo, 16-20 December 2007. The national conference is held every
5 years.
The conference will elect the ANC's next president.
Incumbent President Thabo Mbeki ( South Africa's President) is being
challenged by Vice-President Jacob Zuma. It is a hard fought campaign.
Apart from being the President of the ANC party, the President of the ANC
can expect to be appointed the country's president. Mr Mbeki is into his
second term as South Africa's president. The South African constitution
prohibits a person serving as President for more than 2 terms. If Mr Mbeki
wins another term as ANC President, it is expected he will appoint a stooge
to the position of South African President , when he retires in 2009 -
and effectively rule the country from his position as ANC President.
Now Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is attempting to broker a peace deal by
which each of Mbeki and Zuma will remain in their respective roles for 5 years,
when they will both quit and hand over to the next generation.
Madikizela-Mandela told the Sunday Times yesterday that she was
“deeply hurt” by the divisions in the ANC “where sister is attacking
sister and comrades are at each others’ throats”.
“I have been a member of the ANC for more than 50 years and there
have been many contestations in the past, but never has it been
characterised by such a high level of acrimony, personal attacks,
accusations and counter-accusations and a total disregard for the
ANC and what it stands for by both sides.” (1)
In KwaZulu-Natal, Mbeki supporters have been circulating e-mails, letters and SMS messages to delegates attacking Zuma’s fitness to
govern.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Senzo Mchunu said the letters showed “just how far some of our comrades have sunk”. (1)
President Thabo Mbeki has now released to the media details of 'private discussions' he had with Zuma in 2005. (2)
The whole process has caused comedians to have a field day.
The satirist in South Africa today has become probably more of a psychiatrist than an entertainer," reflects comedian Pieter-Dirk
Uys, whose female alter-ego Evita Bezuidenhout has kept generations of South Africans in stitches.
"There is something very therapeutic about laughing at fear," he told AFP.
In a frocked and bejewelled appearance at the Cape Town Press Club, Bezuidenhout had her audience rolling with laughter when
she recently launched a mock bid for the South African presidency.
Known fondly as "Tannie (Auntie) Evita," the 72-year-old fictional grand dame married an apartheid-era National Party cabinet
minister and was herself an ambassador for the whites-only regime before swearing off her theoretically bigoted ways.
She claimed to enjoy the company of polygamist Zuma, saying: "He has always treated me with great respect, although I've never
been alone with him in a room for more than a minute."
Zuma, she added, "always asks me to call him by his Zulu name, Innocent."
On Mbeki, generally perceived as an aloof autocrat, she declined to go into detail "because as you know there is no detail".
The apartheid regime had done Mbeki a disfavour, she added, for not having jailed him and thus robbing him of struggle credentials.
"Everybody in the ANC was in jail, following Nelson Mandela's example. As a young man, Thabo Mbeki threw stones at police cars and
the police threw them right back. We didn't think he was important."
While Mbeki had no sense of humour and Zuma laughed only because he was the joker, South Africa's first black president Nelson
Mandela understood the value of a good laugh, said Bezuidenhout.
"To form a government with the people who locked you up requires one hell of a sense of humour."
Added Bezuidenhout: "The day we allow democracy to happen behind closed doors is the day we go back to the old days. Nobody
wants to go back."
Keeping South Africans interested and engaged was the only way to fight this phenomenon, she said, and vowed to keep doing her
part. (3)
The Johannesburg High Court refused to grant an order to have the ANC congress postponed for six months, when it handed down a decision
on 7 December 2007. It had been argued it was necessary to postpone because party infighting had made it impossible to hold the five-day
event. (4)
In an article in the ANC newsletter - ANC Today - President Mbeki wrote :
Yet another document, Through the Eye of a Needle?, ........ says, among other things:
"Because leadership in structures of the ANC affords opportunities to assume positions of authority in government, some individuals
then compete for ANC leadership positions in order to get into government. Many such members view positions in government as a
source of material riches for themselves. Thus resources, prestige and authority of government positions become the driving force in
competition for leadership positions in the ANC.
"Government positions also go hand-in-hand with the possibility to issue contracts to commercial companies. Some of these
companies identify ANC members that they can promote in ANC structures and into government, so that they can get contracts by
hook or by crook. This is done through media networks to discredit other leaders, or even by buying membership cards to set up
branches that are ANC only in name.
"Positions in government also mean the possibility to appoint individuals in all kinds of capacities. As such, some members make
promises to friends, that once elected and ensconced in government, they would return the favour. Cliques and factions then
emerge within the movement, around personal loyalties driven by corrupt intentions. Members become voting fodder to serve
individuals' self-interest. (5)
AND WHO SAID SOUTH AFRICA HAS NOTHING IN COMMON WITH NSW ???
SOURCES :
( 1 ) Moipone Malefane, Dominic Mahlangu, Ndivhuho Mafela, Mpumelelo Mkhabela and Paddy Harper, Winnie enters the fray ,
Sunday Times , 9 December, 2007 p.1 [ online ]
( 2 ) ‘What Zuma told me about the conspiracy’ , Sunday Times, 9 December 2007 [ online ]
( 3 ) South African politics are a joke, seriously , AFP, 9 December 2007 [ online ]
( 4 ) Paul Simao, Mandela ex-wife to propose ANC leadership deal - paper, ReutersAfrica , 9 December 2007 [ online ]
( 5 ) ANC Today, Volume 7, No. 48 • 7—13 December 2007
| THABO MBEKI President of South Africa and President of the ANC. |
| JACOB ZUMA Vice-President of the ANC |
