ANC must change attitude

Last week City Press executive editor Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya in his F-Word column wrote: “The governing party must stop wriggling its hands helplessly when confronted by challenges.”

Moya went on to say the ANC’s historical role as the leader of the oppressed ­demands that it develop a more assertive, yet sophisticated, posture when dealing with what it does not like.

That was well said and I can’t help but agree with this noble son of Africa.

The ANC has in the past years used an aggressive, bully attitude to the media, political parties and its voters to silence its foes.

African academics and scholars have long been calling for ­African solutions to African problems but it’s difficult to imagine our continent achieving such goals when we are still led by arrogant leaders who bully their way to the top.

When political parties governing states act as messiahs and adapt foreign attitudes of dictatorship and arrogance, they lose touch with core values, principals and people’s demands. Our liberation movements are not capable and can’t provide leadership and direction because of the power they enjoy – they have weak and flawed leadership.

If the ruling party claims to be a vehicle of change, why did they behave in such manner in an ultimatum advertisement that sought to assemble the nation?

The ANC has an ungenerous spin doctor in its secretary general Gwede Mantashe who speaks in tongues in all its quests to justify its interests but it must allow and accept different voices from the community.

The party must create a friendly relationship with the opposition parties and the media so that we can achieve our fundamental goal of a united and prosperous South Africa.

- Lonwabo Busakwe from Khayelitsha