THE ANC CANNOT CARRY THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD

IN DEFENCE OF THE ANC

The ANC is a liberation movement that has had to contend with one of the most damaged governments in the world. Besides that it has had to deal with a million loose ends that it inherited from the apartheid regime, it also had to deal with an economy heavily compromised by sanctions that had to be enforced by the international community to force the National Party to see reason. After the formation of the government of National Unity, the international community – especially those who secretly support racism – then watched like a vulture stalking the wounded, if the ‘black person/kaffir’ could actually administer his own destiny.

South African High Commissioner Happy Herby Mahhlangu
and his wife Andrea

To then say that the ANC should have jumped to the assistance of repressed Swaziland as soon as 1994 is wishful thinking, as it had many fires to extinguish, especially those caused by the new home of the old order’s racist individuals. Again it would be wishful thinking to conclude that the legion of South African racist found Jesus, repented, and racism disappeared into thin air, and the ANC was left to run the country without these pests. The ANC has had to deal with racism after racism was officilly done away with. So to ask the ANC to be Jesus Christ and turn water into wine would be unfair, even though when looking at South Africa at present, it becomes easy to believe in miracles.

WHEN ARE YOU SELF-KEPT ENOUGH TO BECOME THE BROTHER’S KEEPER?

Even though I would have personally preferred if the ANC had become decisive earlier on the Swaziland issue, but here in Africa we are grateful for what we are offered at the time we are offered in order to fight the filthy habit of ingratitude. So it becomes easy to say that the ANC acted at the opportune time that it acted and now I am comforted that my brother stands next to me with clear resolutions on how we are to both take a stand against tyranny. I will now not say ‘my brother left me to the dogs’, because we avoid such language in Africa, for purposes of civilisation and other.

But the issue is not if the ANC has taken a stand or not, but if the ANC is practicing the habits of the snake. It would be doing the ANC a great injustice to, at present time, accuse it of ‘saying this and doing the other’, because its foreign policy on Swaziland is unambiguous, which comrade Lindiwe Zulu has reiterated to assure those who wait at corners to take unwarranted gibes at progress. But it may seem that some of us formulate conclusions on catchy headlines and entertainment tabloids.

AN INDIVIDUAL’S POINT OF VIEW IS NOT ORGANISATIONAL POLICY

It may then seem that the South African High Commission to Swaziland issued a statement on behalf of the South African government when he said that South Africa shouldn't meddle in Swaziland's democratic issues, but that is not the case. What the South African representative did was to give a personal opinion, because if his utterances were ANC’s policy, it would be written somewhere in one of ANC’s documents. And it is commendable that COSATU, through a statement issued by its Second Deputy President Zingiswa Losi, sternly rebuked such uncalled-for verbal diarrhea  So South African High Commissioner Happy Mahlangu cannot be said that he had spoken on behalf of the South African government when he embarked on the impulsive utterances, hence COSATU saying that, ‘We will arrange a meeting with the ANC Leadership to recommend that Mahlangu be recalled for training on ANC policies and decisions, especially with regard to offering assistance towards the democratisation of Swaziland’.

What is also worth to note is that there are known ANC members who are in business with the Swaziland government, and at times compromise the organisation by standing alongside those who are known to be oppressors. Upstanding ANC members have at times shamefully admitted that greedy tendencies of some ANC members have at times compromised the organisation’s integrity. Not to say that comrade Happy Mahlangu is one of the takers, but to bring to clarity that when individual members of the ANC are seen to be running amok, the ANC’s name cannot then be dragged in the mud along with such unscrupulous characters. So it would be very wrong to crucify the ANC for comrade Happy Mahlangu’s sins. It is then up to the ANC to reprimand its renegade member in a manner appropriate to the seriousness of the irresponsible utterances.