Malema is no Sobukwe and ‘shutdown’ is no Sharpeville

I am intrigued by the choice of the date March 20 for the EFF’s “shutdown” campaign, in which it is joined by the

South African Federation of Trade Unions.

The day that follows, March 21, is known to many as Sharpeville Day, one of the most important dates in South African history.

Is the EFF hoping for chaos to be sparked by its campaign, which would hog headlines and imprint the EFF on the historical calendar at the expense of March 21?

True campaigns are not just actions. They are planned around an objective; the action taken must hurt the enemy in order to achieve the desired result.

From what I have read about the EFF thing it is just an expression of discontent. President Cyril Ramaphosa is not going to resign in response to this march, and neither is the ANC government going to change anything.

Robert Sobukwe and the PAC planned to hurt the apartheid regime by paralysing industry through getting

African workers arrested for not carrying their dompas. The envisaged result was the regime being compelled to talk once industry ground to a standstill. There was no other means to bargain, no vote, no constitutional backing.

With a democratically elected government I see no enemy. But those absconding from work are sure to be hurt through loss of wages, and victims of violence will be hurt physically.

The EFF is in parliament and therefore does not need to force the governing party to talk to it.

The people have the vote to effect change. Democracy will demand that we abide by the wishes of the majority

The choice of the date seems to confirm that it is just an attention-seeking exercise since the action will be misconstrued as “fighting for our rights” and the people’s memory of Sharpeville Day may be blurred.

Dr K Mosalakae, Houghton

Leave Phoenix out of it, Juju

At a press conference this week, Julius Malema made veiled threats against the people of Phoenix and referred to the Indian community, obviously as a tactic of fear and intimidation. This is despicable and pathetic.

His planned day of protest must be limited to his cronies and cannot be allowed to disrupt the normal life of citizens who do not subscribe to the whims and fancies of his political agenda.

By stating that “we are ready for Phoenix”, Malema is inciting violence and intimidation and the community must never succumb to this.

This is the calibre of leadership we are witnessing from a man who cares less about the country than about his own political ends.

If he has the right to protest, so do other citizens have the right not to protest. These rights cannot be trampled upon by a political leader simply to achieve political ends.

Does Malema really believe that a oneday shutdown will get the president to resign or that, by some miracle, someone at Eskom will press a switch and bingo, everyone will have electricity?

The community of Phoenix and the Indian community must not be made into a scapegoat or a trophy for Malema’s nefarious inadequacies and limitations.

Narendh Ganesh, Durban North

The West has better bullies

Regarding the article by Mike Siluma “With friends like these, who needs bullies?” (March 12), maybe Africa would not be seen as a “prize to be won by global powers” if the continent did not have so many dysfunctional countries ruled by corrupt, greedy and weak leaders interested only in enriching themselves.

As for colonisation, a look back in history would find very few countries worldwide that escaped colonisation of one kind or another.

Our government’s support of Russia’s invasion of a sovereign state (to colonise it?) beggars belief, after what so many in South Africa suffered under apartheid and colonisation. It smacks of hypocrisy at its worst.

Mr Siluma, if you had to leave South Africa tomorrow and had to live in the US, the UK, Russia or China, which would it be?

If it were inevitable we were going to be bullied (owing to our weak leadership) I would prefer it to be done by a democratic country, no matter how flawed.

L Mills, Wynberg

Wise words from Washington

I hope the comrades in the ANC read the article by the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety “The ANC’s view of my country is inaccurate and unfortunate” (March 12). Or even better, they could hire a host of consultants to analyse and respond to it.

In 2024 the ANC will become an outdated and obsolete tri-party alliance circus. Wake up from your slumber and see the facts. You cannot rely on your history of the struggle. We need a change from your corruption and ruinous leadership.

Mike Sauls, Gqeberha

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