Suffering and Smiling
Notes From Johannesburg
Jamin Ohwovoriole
A Member of Parliament goes to jail for raping girlfriend. Mangosuthu Buthelezi's hold on the Inkatha Freedom Party is weakened as young Turks rubbish his succession plan. Corruption in the corridors of power causes trepidation in the wake of the resignation of the National Director of Public Prosecution, Bulelani Ngcuka. Terror saga frightens populace, but government sees no cause for alarm.
Earlier in the week, South Africans woke up to a deafening applause masterminded by activists of all shades. This was occasioned by the conviction of Albert Mncwango by an Eshowe Regional Court in the KwaZulu Natal Province. A politician of note, he had allegedly abused his former girlfriend four years ago by having sexual intercourse with her at gunpoint. The court�s decision, perhaps, would not have gained notoriety if August had not been declared women's month in this country. Therefore, Mncwango's downfall from grace to grass is perceived in certain quarters as a triumph for womanhood.
However, some aspects of the circumstances that led to the trial elicit some suspicion with regard to the motive of the accuser. Some years ago, she had killed the son of the Member of Parliament during an altercation bothering on her relationship with the politician. She was arrested, charged and tried. However, she walked because the court bought her argument, which suggested that she had stabbed the younger Mncwango in self-defence. Of course, having killed the son of her lover, it would have been ridiculous to think that the bereaved would not have mourned his beloved son. This moment of pain caused some strain in their relationship. But, they still met to discuss the tragedy. It was on such an occasion that the Plaintiff said, "He locked the door. He asked what it is that I am doing. He asked if he could feel if somebody has slept with me sexually. I refused. He produced his firearm. He pointed it on my forehead 'took off my clothes' made me lie on the bed;" As simple as this narrative was, the court swallowed it hook, line and sinker without giving heed to the Defence's position: he denied having had sexual intercourse with her.
If he did, maybe it was during a moment of insanity. If the loss of his child pained him that much, he could have lost his mind momentarily beholding the killer! But, this is not America where such debates find favour in the eyes of a jury. Maybe it was payback time for some yet to be disclosed crime committed by the politician while the lovebirds were doing their stuff while covered with the bed sheets. Wait. Just as it was in the case of Judge Desai who was accused of sleeping forcefully with a woman who willingly went to his hotel room at 3am, perhaps the appellate court would rescue the embattled man. Meanwhile, his party- the Inkatha Freedom Party- has stripped him of his positions pending the outcome of his appeal.
Beyond Mncwango, it was as if the gods did conspire to have the leadership of Inkatha run from one pillar to the other searching for recourse. The party had lost its grip on power during the April elections. And, if truth is to be told, it may grind to a halt and slip into oblivion just as the Apartheid tainted National Party got kicked into insignificance four months ago. But some young men are determined to secure the future of the party now by relegating the old horses to the background and injecting new blood and new tactics into the politics of the IFP. As a result, it appears Buthelezi is about to be left in the cold for the first time in 30 years as the rebellion in his fold has led to the capturing of Inkatha's two most senior positions by members of the young brigade. Normally, the personal preference of the former Home Affairs boss is a central determinant in the choice of IFP's national chairperson and deputy national chairperson. If Buthelezi possessed the clout still, the former Premier of KwaZulu Natal, Lionel Mtshali, and Zanele Magwaza, would have clinched the respective positions. To his chagrin, Ziba Jiyane came back from obscurity, after quitting politics and public life seven years ago, to trash the old man's main man. Keen watchers of the IFP suggest that Buthelezi's hold on party affairs was weakened when those plotting his irrelevance amended the Inkatha's constitution. Now, he is no longer in a position to unilaterally appoint leaders of the women league and the youth brigade. The power now resides with the national council.
Chinua Achebe's thematic concern in The Man of the People is causing some headaches here. Grappling with the challenges of the new independent nation, bad leadership and corrupt practices made one of Africa's foremost writers to paint a disgusting picture that portrayed his inner turmoil and disillusionment a few years after his own country sent home the agents of the colonial masters. Inside Achebe's fictive world, great expectations came face-to-face with betrayal. As a result, hopes were dashed greatly. In his fancy flight, a coup de tat became the pragmatic solution to the problem. Sadly, to date, the story has not been re-written with a happy ending on the continent. Here, what have dominated the public domain in recent days are the many stories with which the people are inundated with, which reveal that the political elites in this country have failed to learn from the misadventure and greed of other African leaders. It appears they are unabashedly intoxicated by their new status while failing to learn that the culture of grab, grab and grab is one sure way to perdition.
Jacob Zuma, the country's Deputy President got stung by the Scorpions some months ago. According to the elite crime-bursting team, Mbeki's right hand man was entangled in the web of irregularities and kickbacks that were the hallmark of the country's multi-million-rand arms deal with a French company. They are still digging up dirt everywhere, especially amongst the politicians despite the fact that its arrowhead quit his office only recently as a result of the intense consequences of Zumagate. But, Bulelani Ngcuka's wife is a Minister in Mbeki's government. She is the most powerful South African after the President and his deputy: most times, she is the President when Mbeki is on leave. Sad as the situation is, what gives hope is the idea that there are no sacred cows on this farm.
Osama bin Laden has done the unexpected. He has gotten himself soldiers amongst the people of the Rainbow Nation. Although there are claims and counter claims insinuating that this country has no strategic value for the terrorists amongst us, it is still not a walk in the park trying to convince the world that the two South Africans found in the company of wanted terrorists in Pakistan were accidental agents of death. They may have confessed. Someone may have been asked to do the damage control. The message is not lost to the rest of us: maybe, there is no safety here too. After all, there is no smoke without fire. _ [email protected]
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