By Rudzani Floyd Musekwa
Under the leadership of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela the African National Congress (ANC) had some really good leaders who knew that the country was where it was because of the serious struggle they had to endure, and because of that they were willing to serve the party with pride. Mistakes were committed obviously along the way.

It’s politics after all. The whole negotiation thing could have been better of course as the sometimes hypocritical first mother of the nation, Winnie Madikizela Mandela always says. The masses still find themselves very much still poor, but all cannot just naively be connected to the ruling ANC, it’s bigger than that of course.

Under the tutelage of Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki the party seemed to still be in very capable hands because TM was trained specifically so he could take over one day – luck fish. Under the leadership of the short gent the party had intelligent people in the cabinet, robust leaders, but that very party was also full of itself because there was no much listening to people who deviated from what the Big-Boys believed in.

If you dared say anything that seemed to be against, or questioned what the big boss said then you were going to find yourself in the pecking order. But what I liked about the leadership of TM was that because of the image he had build with the international community he also didn’t have time for questionable leaders within his party, oh well, maybe one questionable leader cost him his pride after having replaced him on national television.

Mvuyelwa made that mistake, but it didn’t look like a mistake when he did it because he had to do it, and to most, including me, that was just a very brave decision by a leader who was not afraid to save his party and government from unnecessary controversies.

TM made South Africa a very competitive country economically, and we didn’t cross our fingers when he visited the pathetically so-called civilized European nations for whatever negotiations of national and continental importance, and all because we knew Die-Kort-Een was good, after all he had some good education oorkant, didn’t he?

Our image internationally was a very sound one, South Africans of whatever colour could go to every country, in the exception of Australia which is a tenth province of South Africa thanks to some not-so-patriotic South Africans who braai and indulge in national fermented brands there, with pride, holding the “official” flag high.

Maybe Mvuyelwa was doing that so that he could show off to those he went to varsity with oorkant? Whatever, we needed it.

Mvuyelwa was not well liked in these shores, but he was very respected by all. Now, what’s more important, to be liked, or to be respected? Mhh, you make your mind.
After Mvuyela’s two terms came the former dumpee, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa “Baba ka Juju” Zuma. A man who’s coming to power can make even Sylvester Stallone cry like a wet baby. Hamba Juju’s daddy. Prince JZ came to power thanks to history repeating itself, but a bit differently. Remember when Utata Nelson Mandela ousted his former jailer FW something? It was after an election at least.

This time, in Prince JZ’s case the ouster was baby Juju. Baby Juju, he of the “the problem in this country is Thabo Mmbeki (yes, Mmbeki, not Mbeki) and his people”. The history of South African politics was to change forever with a then 27 years old not-that-fat Juju from Seshego in Limpopo excusing TM, a man of books, and a man who looked the part.

South Africa has never been the same since then. And eish, under the tutelage of the warrior from Nkandla the party is really vocal, with the tripartite alliance, Luthuli house and the ANC-Juju league wanting a platform to nationalise its voice. Under Mvuyelwa some from Cosatu were even labelled extraordinarily arrogant. Shoooh, those were the days in the ANC, not naming any names, me? Never. But you can say it out loud, louder, loudest.

Back then Gwede Mantashe (pron; Montage) was still a very respectable man whom nobody dared call sell out, but with Juju around that was never going to be permanent. Respect is just not an option to son number 21, never, never.

At least before Juju the ANC boasted a rather intelligent youth leader in Fikile Mbalula, at least even though he was older in moons he was traditionally a boy as we know how Ranger Rovers combed Phillippi in the Western Cape trying to hide the then young-one-soon-to-be Indoda (forgive my wrong spelling, I’m just a simple tribesman from Venda after all).

Since I am not into party politics you must understand that I really have no favourite in this whole fiasco, but my humble simple tribesman opinion is that the ANC has been going down, or it seems like, since Juju’s papa took over, just look at the errors committed since daddy dearest took over, and tell me if I am wrong, I won’t take it bad because I’m not that into being right anyway.

Madiba did what he had to do, but the masses should have been secured from the word go. Mvuyelwa did well, and his speeches were worth bunking school for (evil laugh). Gedle aka Juju’s papa has been terrible to say the least, he realized that his recent speech would be watched or listened to by just a few and then decided that it came at the same day as the 20 years since Madiba walked free, whatever that was called. The mistake he made was that we realized how terrible his speech writers were, and how terrible a reader he is.

How I wish opposition politics were potent. Helen, where are you? Stop talking about Malema and constitution in the same sentence and start talking real, or else people will remember you in the same sentence, or way, as Juju boy.

Musekwa is a freelance writer based in the colonial university town of Grahamstown. He writes his in his capacity as an angry man who wishes Juju could swap politics for wrestling, he’s good at that.

He can be contacted at rudzanifloyd@gmail.com