Someone in one group of researchers that I belong to once said, “Sooner the ANC will see Xolani Dube as an enemy the way he is brutal in undressing the ANC and exposing their failures.” Was that person wrong? asks Botsang Moiloa.
Someone in one group of researchers that I belong to once said: “Sooner the ANC will see Xolani Dube as an enemy the way he is brutal in undressing the ANC and exposing their failures.” Was that person wrong? asks Botsang Moiloa.
Th ANC in its February 13 statement was politically intolerant and unfair. Is Xolani Dube not a citizen of South Africa and a resident of KwaZulu-Natal besides being a political analyst, activist, researcher, and commentator?
Suppose Dube and his followers or members of whatever new movement they might have formed had acted illegally or against the laws of the country. Should that have been the case, the Criminal Procedure Act would have had be applied to them.
So what gives the ANC a right to say or claim that only people who fought against apartheid can rise against a failing government? Is the ANC saying the youth of today, born post-apartheid era, have no legitimate right to rebel or protest against failures of the current administration led by the ANC?
Most of the opposition, new and so-called small political formations in the country were formed due to failures of the ANC and never existed during apartheid. It is, therefore, absurd and irrational for the ANC in KZN to want to address their frustrations using apartheid-era tactics.
I wish the ANC could have handled the DA in the same manner when Mmusi Maimane, who was never an apartheid-era activist, led a march to the private residence of the Guptas who are RSA citizens and belonged to and funded the ANC.
When political parties such as the DA or EFF march to the private residences of individuals it is okay with the ANC, yet when it is to the private residences of their failing leaders they cry apartheid-era activism?
It is further pathetic for the ANC and threatening to Dube that they will meet him on the ground as we all know what this means – in KZN in particular.
As if he was not on the ground when he belonged to the ANC. As if he was not on the ground when he founded Xubera and the Natives Movement right under their noses while they were battling with internal squabbles and factions.
The ANC-KZN tarnishes Xolani’s persona by saying he was fired from the ANC and is a political failure due to being on drugs. This is a sign of political frustration that has no principle and facts and they resort to name-calling and character assassination.
The mentality and narrative that the ANC pushed for years that they are the liberators of the South Africa is false. The mentality that those who were in jail or ran to exile were the only ones or main ones who fought apartheid is a farce and should never be allowed to pollute the minds of our youth and future generations.
Every black person in this country fought apartheid in one way or the other. Some even from the church pulpit, some from arts stages, others by just being resistant to white domination without shouting “amandlas” or political slogans.
Political analysts are human beings and citizens. Nothing stops them from criticising or challenging or even rebelling against any ruling or misruling party. And no law exists in this country that says political analysts should not be members of political or civil formations.
Who in their normal political activism would avoid using a presented platform to counter or expose or even criticise the misruling party or any other party for that matter?
The ANC-KZN is trying to bully the mainstream media into silencing Dube, but this will backfire as an independent media house will want to house and give a platform to any rabble-rouser in order to make headlines.
If Xolani was wrong by marching to the premier’s house, he must be consulted as well and engaged in dialogue and also be afforded the same opportunity given to white-run organisations when they have issues with them.
Alternatively, if he and his people have committed a crime, why not use the legal mechanisms to deal with them?
We all know that he has been a thorn in the ANC’s side, especially in KZN, for a while now. We also know that he was the first to describe the current ANC leadership as another bunch of thugs. But why threaten his life and not deal with him within the constraints of the law or political agenda?
In conclusion, it is very cheap of the ANC to rush and say the Xubera Institute or Dube are using hotels paid for by their funders to push an agenda against the ruling party as if the ANC that is mainly funded by the apartheid-era murderers holds its or media briefings in township halls or squatter camps.
Almost every apartheid-era white beneficiaries such as the likes of Rupert and Oppenheimer, plus many others, are top funders of the ANC. And what makes the ANC think they are the only ones who should be funded by whomsoever including black people or natives’ core enemies?
The political intolerance of the ANC and particularly in KZN has resulted in violence between African people, and criminals or enemies of “Peace Among the Africans” tend to take advantage of such behaviour and murder black people.
The media release against Xolani Dube by the ANC-KZN was uncalled for, and reckless and should be condemned by all means with the contempt it deserves.
Botsang Moiloa is political former Diplomat and Independent Political Analyst.
