The Mercury’s editorial of March 11 titled ‘Unity and renewal of the ruling party has failed,’ hopefully marks a turning point in the outlook that has characterised the paper over most of the past decade.
Observing that the ANC is “an organisation at war with itself” and has become “self-destructing,” is a refreshingly candid and long overdue assessment of the political realities that have reduced South Africa to bankruptcy and large-scale dysfunctionalism.
At the root of this denouement is the fact that the principle on which our constitution is based – one law for one nation – is neither respected nor upheld by the ANC. If it was, then the jails would be crowded with ANC cadres and comrades who have failed to uphold the oath of public office by dereliction of duty, blatant theft, dishonesty and malfeasance of every kind.
Thus, the question the editorial posed, namely, “where does this leave the electorate,” should shape a bold, new approach to our politics. The primary need for this is obvious: South Africa’s future is doomed under continued ANC misrule. Any political party that prioritises itself ahead of the country is not just unworthy of office but must be denied office.
The second fundamental reason to cease supporting the ANC is that its socialist ideology is incapable of socio-economic upliftment. If that was not the case, the USSR would not have collapsed and people would not be clamouring to escape from socialist Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela.
Having recognised those basic realities characterising the total unsuitability of the ANC to have any role in government, The Mercury should now focus positively on the alternative policies offered by the major opposition parties, the DA, IFP and FF Plus.
Instead of largely ignoring them or trying to rubbish their particular idiosyncrasies, The Mercury should be advancing the benefits of dismantling the ideology of demographic representivity in favour of the principle of merit. It should be promoting the dismantling of restrictive labour legislation and the abolition of B-BBEE as handbrakes on economic growth and job creation. It should be vigorously opposing property expropriation without compensation.
Those are the stark alternatives to the ANC. They are the cure for the dire circumstances that prevail. Propagate them so the electorate can deliver a coalition to evict the ANC from power.
Sent into The Mercury and published 15 March 2021.
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