How do you beat a strong brand? can you? The ANC was invincible. It got votes from true believers. There were values and something to believe in. It did not get my vote. Not that I had an issue with the ANC itself. I had an issue with absolute power. The Nats were not about to get MY vote. Damn Nazis. Change your spots as often as you like. I still see armbands when I hear Nationalist Party. So off I went singing to the DA. Just like during apartheid days. Nail my colours to the Liberal wall.
Unthinking votes. Everyone said the issue was an uneducated, ignorant vote, blindly taking the ANC forward. I have not seen evidence of ignorant voting. I have seen evidence of trusting ,blind faith being horribly misrepresented by those to whom their loyal vote was trusted to. But ignorance? no. We are highly politicised in this country with EVERYONE having an informed (maybe wrong) opinion, regardless of education or social rank.
The ANC in my opinion abused this trust and became like the Nationalists, their mentors, a self serving nepotistic bunch, hell bent on furthering their own political agendas and lining pockets. The thing that shocked me in the arms deal was how cheaply the mighty fell.
And so it came to pass that the ANC has ruled against the wishes of its populace in the certain knowledge that where it leads it’s flock shall follow. Everything is deniable. Don’t fix, deny and stand proud. Drive the new car as if you could afford to make the bond payments.
Until now. Until Zuma and Mbeki went head to head. Until emperor Mbeki, in his new clothes, had to pull a Julius Caesar on squeaky clean JZ in his farewell speech. Until Thabo brought loyalty within the ANC into question. Until the party pulled it’s own sword through its own soft, warm, well fed, belly.
So now we have two ANCs. Which is the true one? Do we care? What we have now is JZ keeping his Dog Malema from upsetting the neighbours from incessant aggravating yelping. We have an ANC careful with what it says and does. We have democracy at last, Democracy at last.
I said to anyone who stood still long enough to listen, a few months back, that the ANC was on the path to self destruction, that there is an opportunity for our immature democracy to rise new, shining and at last, thinking. And I was not alone in this voice.
I am disenfranchised from my liberal, white, DA vote. Others are disenfranchised by ANC 1 & 2. The other parties, if they are still out there, seem to be about niche job creation fo themselves.
I have said and will say again, the DA, as brave as it is to re-brand, has not done enough. Cool new logo. Even a WordPress site. Even with the amazing mommy Zille smiling from the banner, not enough. Still a relic. No rising from Phoenix ashes please. Disband. Re-form. Take in some ANC big boys and other leaders with no place to call home. But do not rebrand. Do not re-name. Dissolve and rise as something new, with a new vision, with new stronger leadership. Be something we can believe in. Lead. Lead with integrity even. Take less than half the vote, but win. You will have my vote. You will have the coloured vote, you will have the Xhosa vote, and you will have the Zulu, Sotho and every other damn vote, but be brave and just disappear will you?
Nice post u have here
Added to my RSS reader