Bless Your Hearts, ANC

 Dear Mr Chairman Nathi Sithole 

Your tweet below had me wrestling with questions of theology and human government deep into the humid Durban night.

'There is no President that is installed by God,that one must focus on learning his home language and stop defending crooks'

Not having your rich background in matters theological, I'm unable to comment in general terms. I do think that Mr Ramaphosa was elected by humans at a couple of the jolly ANC shindigs that the SABC delights in filming at great length. I  am surprised that we've not seen some Sam Peckinpah style slow motion shots of the singing, dancing delegates. I think you might have attended one or two of those joyous events?

Back to theology.  Well, Mr Chairman, I'm with you on this one. God is said to work in mysterious ways, but it's hard to imagine Him appointing any ANC candidate. Any ANC government. The ANC has clearly demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that it knows less about governing than I do about quantum physics. Apartheid is still blamed for almost 30 years of spectacular underachievement. Jan Van Riebeeck waits his turn on the scapegoat substitute bench. Everything lootable has been looted. And there have been leaps of innovation in discovering new looting fields. So, yes, it's most unlikely that the Almighty has appointed a president in these parts. Unless He is very annoyed with us. That is a distinct possibility given how  we've made an unholy mess of a country rich with possibilities.

Your second tweet was equally thought- provoking:

'That king can’t even speak our language properly but get paid a lot of money under the guise of “preserving our culture” that’s why he spend so much time defending a crook that has destroyed our country,if he decides to be a politician we will treat him as such.'

The language thing is easily solved.  Our language lab offers a special royalty discount. All we ask are a couple of tickets to the odd royal gala.

I was a little confused by the statement about 'defending a crook'.  We have so many, in and out of politics. My confusion was compounded by a tweet from Ayanda:

'The only recognized crook in SA is Jacob Zuma, he must go and fetch his masters the Guptas, they are going to jail..'

That can't be true. He cannot be the only one, if indeed he is one.

You seem to be quite warm under the collar about these questions of theology and governance. Not healthy in this extreme Durban heat. You were a lot more tolerant about Mr Zuma's romps in the perfumed garden of applied theology. Remember these pearls from the Zuma lips:

"the ANC will rule South Africa until Jesus comes back"

The ANC is blessed by God

Those who vote for the ANC will be blessed on earth and in heaven 

.

Clearly, in this case, what is theologically good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. Not that I'm suggesting that Mr Zuma is a goose. More like a turkey, said a forward friend. At which, like you, I was righteously indignant.

Another interesting tweet on the subject:

'We used to have political differences in the ANC but we have never witnessed any mutiny during Mandela,Mbeki and Zuma.Why are we having this behavior of disgruntled cdes under Ramaphosa?Are they fuelled by hatred, greed or just hunger for political power? Who is behind this'

I think that he omitted the 'all of the above' option.

Yours in the struggle with thorny political and theological questions.

Richard 

Tips for the blogger gratefully accepted 

Capitec Bank, South Africa  

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