Our political leaders should rise to the occasion
THE CURRENT political impasse cries out for complete and quality leadership from all political formations, including the labour movements. Unfortunately, it is only the ANC and the DA that have risen to the occasion.
The other parties are struggling like a pedestrian trying to cross a highway with cars moving in both directions at a mesmerising pace.
Collectively, the leadership has to chart the way forward in the aftermath of the recent elections, whereby the ANC’s electoral performance slipped from the 57.50% in 2019 to 40.18% this year.
It is a matter of national concern when some opposition party leaders don’t even know what the concept “coalition” entails. It is even more disappointing to see that others are clueless on the idea of a “Government of National Unity”. This is surprising because South Africa once had a GNU that steered the country through the transition to democracy.
This is the kind of ignorance that led to the economic collapse of Zimbabwe.
These mediocre leaders, some of them being highly certificated, are, to borrow from Temba J Nkosi, “slaves of ignorance in a prison without walls”. They are people who are driven by self-interest and care nothing about the stability of the country.
The ANC, on the other hand, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has proven to be a glittering beacon of political excellence. The president has proven to be an internationalist pathfinder who is showing remarkable clarity of vision on the impasse at hand.
Ramaphosa is right to say that everything should be done in the interest of the country.
And by so saying, he is calling for leaders to elevate themselves to a position of maturity, to compromise, collaborate and sacrifice for the common good of the country – a feat which is the highest level of patriotism.
It is high time that the leaders in the other formations come to the party and escalated their thinking quality to the level of the ANC leadership. ABE MOKOENA | Polokwane