Political statements

What with one thing (Brexit) and another (Trump), Western politics has been quite interesting of late. But that wasn’t always the case.
Still, despite those dramatic anomalies mentioned above – South African politics remains more interesting. And, for me, some of the best bits about South African politics are the enthusiastic media releases from various organisations, characterised by their excessive verbiage and circumlocution.

Who could forget when Blade Nzimande told us about:

the anti-majoritarian, conservative reactive groundswell that seeks to tarnish the whole movement, portraying us all as anti-constitutionalist and as narrow nationalist chauvinists.

Hmm?

Or when Fikile “Fickle” Mbalula waxed lyrical thus:

We were aware of the ultra-leftist tendencies that were aimed at uplifting pseudo-Marxist predispositions at the expense of the revolutionary recognition of the symbiotic link between national liberation and social emancipation; born out of the acknowledgement of the inter-play between the national oppression and class exploitation; in the context of the National Democratic Revolution.

Ah yes. Halcyon days.

This morning, I was greeted (not literally) by a media release from the ANC Women’s League. Now, after they commended the killing of wives in the Eastern Cape, you might not be expecting too much from them, but Secretary General Meokgo Matuba has really stepped up to the plate with this statement on the Land Reform debate in Parliament yesterday.
Here’s an excerpt:

Any delay by the ANC led government in implementing ANC resolutions will give grounds to demagoguery, opportunistic populist formations to throw rhetorics and portrays themselves as the champions of the poor and the working class. The funded mercenaries who are proudly bedfellows of our historical class enemies, will portray themselves as the solution to socio-economic challenges the country is facing whilst they are mere election footsoldiers of the neo-liberal political party that is advancing white supremacy.

I once threw rhetorics. It was a huge error. It turned out to be the gateway to lobbing oratories and from there I got heavily into flinging magniloquence. Still, I’ve been clean for a few years now, and I count it as nothing more than a difficult learning experience.
We all make mistakes.

There’s something about left-wing politics that seems to demand verbosity. And there’s a certain pomposity about South African politicians which gives them free rein – even encourages them – to use that verbosity whenever possible.

Long may it continue. It makes for really entertaining reading.

What are you up to today?

Finishing that report at work?
Meeting just before lunch?
Some shopping, perhaps?

Or will you, like the white owned print media oligopoly in South Africa (who for many years have been the allies of the apartheid super structure, providing rationale and intellectual support to the apartheid system), be colluding with forces of darkness to peddle propaganda against the ANC and its government for the purpose of advancing regime change?

I know, it’s a toughie, isn’t it?

Me? Oh, I’m just playing with white blood cells today.
Sorry to disappoint.

Link to the ANCWL press release (for it is they what is paranoid about JZ being ousted).

‘Condemn’ seems to be the hardest word

(with apologies to Elton John)

You may have thought you’d seen it all after that ANC Women’s League press statement entitled:

ANCWL commends killing of wives in a village in the Eastern Cape

But now the junior members of the Blue House have come forward to challenge that unfortunate oopsie with (presumably, anyway) one of their own on their Facebook page. And it’s a corker!

daso1

You what what?

“…we obviously condone any civil or political violence, violations of civil liberties or political rights or any instances of discrimination basedon race, culture, ethanicity, sexuality or religion.”

Eina! That sort of attitude isn’t going to get you far with Tannie Helen.

Perhaps the word they were both looking for (we hope, anyway) was ‘condemn’

condemn
verb
1. express complete disapproval of; censure.
“most leaders roundly condemned the attack”
synonyms: censure, criticize, castigate, attack, denounce, deplore, decry, revile, inveigh against, blame, chastise, berate, upbraid, reprimand, rebuke, reprove, reprehend, take to task, find fault with, give someone/something a bad press;

There, now that wasn’t too difficult, was it?

Commendable?

Oh dear.

Hot on the heels of the ANCYL and ANC sushi statements comes a press release from the ANC Women’s League (not about sushi – they’ve covered that already). No, this one is on the altogether more serious matter of a man arrested for allegedly killing his two wives in Chalumna.

And that makes the unfortunate spelling mistake all the more hilarious/tragic:

Hmm. Not great.

ANCWL comments trouble the nation

Following  the outspoken comments of Julius Malema, the President of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) two weeks ago that he and his followers would “take up arms and kill for Jacob Zuma”, the President of the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL), Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has now landed herself in hot water with comments made at the organisations annual gathering in Bloemfontein:

My friends, my fellow women, my comrades. We must make it clear to the nation that we are fully behind Jacob Zuma. We support Zuma. We will iron for Zuma.

While her remarks gained widespread support from the delegates at the conference, opposition parties were less impressed. Leader of the opposition, Helen Zille, described the comment as “inflammatory”.

It’s another step in the wrong direction from some factions of the ANC. Making such inflammatory statements as being willing to iron for Zuma is irresponsible. It sends out the wrong message – it’s a small step from there to inciting widespread hoovering.

Mrs Zille refused to make any further comment, saying that she had pressing matters to attend to “but not Jacob Zuma’s trousers”.