A LESSON IN MISPLACED LOYALTY

Mathews Phosa, a former premier of Mpumalanga and member of the ANC's National Executive committee recently addressed a group of some 60 business leaders.

His address focused on the ruling party and government taking responsibility for their actions in  leading "to the global impoverishment of our political and economic currency".  In essence, Phosa urged the government and ruling party to come clean by admitting its mistakes and correcting them.

Phosa's address to business leaders was by no means earth shattering.  Business leaders have known the deleterious consequences of the ANC government's incoherent policies, best described in terms of the dramatic construct, forever and a day.  In fact, inasmuch as Phosa's address was intended to win-over converts, it was a wasteful exercise - he was preaching to the choir.  Would it not then have been more constructive for Phosa to address a closed meeting of comrades to express his concerns?  Yes indeed, but then Phosa would not have been on a centre stage.

In spite of his criticism, Phosa  said he nevertheless would vote for the ANC .  He added: "Where individuals leaders make a mistake, we should say we are making mistakes. . . I will vote ANC. It is individuals who are corrupt, not the ANC".

If it was simply honest, or even incompetent mistakes, forgiveness is a consideration, but so-called individual leader "mistakes" cannot be substituted for the ANC's collective deep-seated predilection for corruption.

Phosa cannot now separate, or distance himself from the collective contagion that has resulted in the country's political and economic impoverishment he speaks of.  As a leading ANC collective fellow traveler, he should rather think about seeking absolution from the electorate, accompanied by a mea culpa for good measure.