Unedited version of letter published in Sundaytimes yesterday Dear editor
Will Gumede’s analysis (sunday 03/01/2010) of SA’s political landscape is superfluous and reveals the posthumous state of his own reasoning. I cannot fathom out why, after 15 years of democracy and the fourth free and fair democratic elections, we would all of sudden need a new Codesa? In truth, Gumede conjures up a complex crisis to musk his distaste for democracy and the ANC led government. None of the complex problems we face are so unique as to require a new Codesa to resolve. In fact, on the contrary, the success story of the 2010 World Cup project demonstrates our ability as a nation to be united in tackling common challenges. To then say other challenges require new forms of ideas and leadership is preposterous and downright cynical. What is this interlocking crisis that Gumede talks about? Battered democratic intuitions, neglected HIV/AIDS pandemic, economic storms; clearly Gumede lives in another country! That we have courts pronouncing on complex moral, cultural and social questions demonstrates that ours is a thriving democracy, having a state with all the ideas would simply lead to dictatorship, we need judicial checks and balances. Our economy has been one of the least affected by the crisis due to sound policy making and we have amongst the best HIV/AIDS response framework around the world. Gumede is clearly a doomsday prophet; he ignores the continued progress we have made in most of the other crisis areas he mentions. Drawn to its natural conclusion Gumede’s analysis is an intellectual crime. In truth his crusade is about the “realignment of the ANC family”. He disrespects the fact that the ANC has internal democratic policy processes and has been democratically elected to lead the state. It is clear that he wants to dilute ANC’s policy position to suit a narrow liberal agenda. He dreams up a death of ideology and reason, using the nationalization debate to fashion a retreat to old ideas. There is absolutely nothing wrong with retreating to old ideas, it is a normal reflective exercise in the pursuit of new forms knowledge, it is this basic intellectual exercise that is dead in Gumede’s ideas. In all democracies the ruling party leads policy, it is simply how democracies work, we cannot have a Codesa every time we don’t like the ruling party; this is not a banana republic! -- Lebogang Hoveka 24 Eldo Adres Eldo Lakes Estate Glen Lauriston Centurion 0842791562/0828107241
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