As more details drip out regarding the format of the ANC’s ‘national dialogue’ (The Mercury, August 12), to some extent, the intended exercise may parallel Mao Zedong’s ‘One Hundred Flowers’ campaign of 1956-57.
Fully aware of the peasants’ resistance to his policy of enforced collectivisation of agriculture, Mao’s open dialogue campaign had a dual purpose: to soften resistance to collectivisation and to identify key political opponents by drawing them out into the open.
“Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend” was an entirely false invitation by Mao, who had every intention of emulating the brutal collectivisation Stalin had imposed on agriculture in Russia. Similarly, the proposed ‘national dialogue’ is an ANC contrivance because, regardless of community opinion, it has no intention of deviating from the trajectory of its historically discredited Marxist National Democratic Revolution.
Thus, the promotion of ‘community dialogue’ to be held in every ward, not once but three times, is a no-brainer because the narrative of community dialogue is very much alive and clear in social media and the weekly community newspapers. That narrative calls for an end to the corruption, incompetence and fraud of the ANC.
It does not require any money to recognise that, which is why the R700 million dialogue budget is an unconscionable waste. But, as we all know, it will be distributed amongst the useful idiots the ANC has invited to lend credence to the farce, ANC cronies, and the hiring of buses, halls, caterers and disc jockeys to create a suitable ambience while South Africa continues to flounder.
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