Freedom Of Speech (ANC vs MEDIA)

Since this might very well be my last week on tvsa I thought I’d get a bit more serious and share this thought with all my readers. I hardly ever engage in any political debate especially where Mzansi is concerned because I have learned that as a black person in this country you cannot call your fellow black brothers and sisters to order without being deemed a traitor or “a wanna be white”. 

ANC and Debate

While the top guns of our government enjoy the liberty of voicing their views under the umbrella of free speech guaranteed to all citizens by our constitution, a double standard still reigns supreme when it comes to our society. 

Julius Malema can boldly say it’s disrespectful to discuss affairs of the elders when asked about the Zuma baby mama drama and get a loud cheer from his supporters yet he forgets that he did discuss Zuma’s sexual escapades when he was accused of rape by stating that the woman accusing Zuma enjoyed the sex. 

Was that not disrespecting an elder? How about when dear Juju said that Helen Zille slept around with male members of her cabinet. Is Helen not his elder? 

The president has just said to parliament now on SABC 2 in his reply to The State of the nation Address Debate, that opposition parties should debate with Malema on the issues he raises and that what Juju says should not be confused as policy. Well, dear Mr. Pres, as true as that may be let me remind you that it was the same attitude by Malema that led to your predecessor losing his job. 

His rampage galvanised the "movement" to oust Mbheki.Yes, what party members utter in their personal capacity should not be taken as the gospel of the party BUT as a governing party your members have a platform which is under the glaring eyes of the people. Malema and his fans’ arrogance does reflect on the ANC… and that’s a fact. 

It’s sad that our young democracy has not reached the point where the electorate votes on action by a governing party. If that were the case the votes would reflect that the people are not all enthralled by this pre-school mudslinging. 

Just because you have the votes don’t think the people are gullible and stupid. How can one engage in any intellectual debate with Malema when all he can do is play off the attention he gets from his silly comments?

The people are fed up with the ANC. One can ask: why don’t they just vote it out? The reality is we are just not there yet. Our people would rather burn their own schools than hold the governing party responsible for the promises it has made. 

Instead of voting the ANC out, our people world decimate public properties then complain later that “we don’t have a school anymore”, forgetting that they burnt it when they were angry with a government they continue to support even when it’s clear that it has lost touch with the people. 

People are not voting for ANC- (the zuma and malema party), people are voting for the ANC- (the liberator- the Mandela, Sisulu and Luthuli party). A lot of South Africans feel indebted to the ANC and like any debt the installments will come to an end. 

It might not be in our lifetime but a time will come where this nation would not feel the need to vote for the ANC based on sentimental obligations anymore. Will the Malemas of that time still blame the whites and media when the chickens come home to roost?

The Malemas of this nation continue to berate anybody who disagrees with their point of view, resorting to personal attacks than debating the issues, one just has to fear that our constitution that we hold so dear because of its civil liberties is in danger. 

Sadly these liberties, which ensure that we enjoy the fruits of living in a democratic state, risk being irrelevant. The media is always being blamed for trying to paint our country with a bloody brush. 

Once too often we hear our politician bringing the race thing into every issue the “white” citizens raise. Are all white South Africans pessimists who have no faith in black governance and are just hoping that the black majority fail in their endeavours of having a viable socio-economical and peaceful nation?

The Media and Race Divide.

I think we should be free to call our leaders to account BUT I would also advice my fellow white South Africans and the general media to be very careful in the manner we approach this. Our constitution guarantees us a personal right of free speech, but our criticism of the government especially in the media should not be tainted by sentiments which are gratuitously provocative.

Furthermore our media should be careful not to incite actions and views that make development of a racially neutral society even more difficult than it already is. I was appalled by the poll on “The Beeld” and the subsequent responses most of its readers (the Afrikaners) gave. 

Yes, crime is a problem, our government is lacking in many ways, the socio-economic divisions are vast among classes and we live in a country that glorifies hypocrisy BUT no matter how one might judge the underlying truth in the white society and media of this nation's dissent, the put-down of black leadership manner in which this issues are tackled is politically and socially destructive

The Bigot: Jon Qwelane

South Africa’s reconciliation has thus far been a huge success. But while the white community remains largely prosperous, and the black community remains largely poor; both arguably the product of the separate historical legacies, and with the Black resentment of the white economic success threatening to destroy this fragile consensus one can only hope that those with the voice in this nation would not fuel the fire. 

Are you paying attention Ms Patta? We all know that the media in SA is seen by many as a “white” driven propaganda machine. 

It’s worrying that the political cloud can get former columnist David Bullard fired for his views while the obnoxious-jaded-bigot columnist, J. Qwel-somethng, can be awarded for his prejudice and vile nature by being appointed an ambassador to that human rights averse outpost of Uganda. 

That someone in Zuma’s administration thought this is a good idea is shocking but even more disturbing is that the ANC was ready to tell the nation that everyone (JQ) is entitled to his opinion an yet when the David Bullard article came out the same courtesy was not extended to him. Instead there were calls for him to be fired and he was subsequently given the boot. 

casualty: David Bullard


PS:

The ANC should stop trying to fool us, we aint buying it. The so called “freedom of speech” you so quick to mention when trying to defend your blunders does not extend to everybody in your books. Given the opportunity you would gag the media at every chance you get. 

For Zuma to think anybody can have a constructive debate with Malema, is a joke and Mr Pres probably knows that too. The order of the day is deferring attention from the government’s failure to meet its mandate by having the likes of Malema mouthing off left right and centre. 

I’m sorry Mr Press, we are on to you.