Political leaders around the world have proved hard of hearing when it comes to the voices of their people. The US election outcome, the Brexit referendum in the UK as well as the local government elections in SA are all examples of this phenomenon.
The reality that is setting in is that globally citizens have for a long time been disgruntled with the inhumane capitalist system that has resulted in a widening gap between poor and rich. In SA, this system has resulted in untold unemployment levels and an inequality gap that is the biggest in the world.
Only recently has this discontent with the status quo started to translate into a global electoral backlash.
The American public has been insulated for a long time from world politics, as demonstrated by the surprise many Americans expressed following the 9/11 attacks that there were others in the world who despised them. The response was an even more insular approach to world politics. In a twisted way, the election of Donald Trump as president has visited another 9/11 upon them as they have chosen a path of selfishness.
The Trump victory represents a detachment from global reality.
The American leadership’s inability to listen gave rise to the extremist views that allowed Trump to prevail, responding to the worst of human instincts in the American populace.
At the same time, it has to be recognised that more than half of the population eligible to vote boycotted the polls.
Bringing this closer to home, every analysis of worth since the local government polls has led to the conclusion that South African politicians are also not very good at taking the pulse of the nation. You would have thought that after the disastrous performance of the ANC at the polls, the attitude towards listening to the people would change, yet the manner in which the party has responded to the series of scandals involving its leader still leaves much to be desired. Numerous ANC spokespeople seem to think closing ranks is the best way to retain power.
Structures such as the uMkhonto weSizwe Veterans Association and the ANC women and youth leagues are costing the ANC electoral support ahead of the 2019 polls every time they issue a statement. These are meant to be the foremost campaigners for the ANC and its primary conscience, but instead these groupings seem determined to provoke an already fed-up public and will have to shoulder the blame should the ANC lose power in 2019.
Their approach could cause a shock in 2019 in the same way as the Remain camp were shocked in the UK and the Democrats are reeling in the US.
There are some in SA who believe the EFF is unelectable because of the party’s seemingly chaotic policy proposition. This, coupled with its failure to secure a single municipality in the local elections, gives some in the ruling party a false sense of hope that they can cling to power. But the Clinton campaign has been just as surprised that someone with such extreme and often contradictory views and policies as Trump has made it to the White House. This should serve as a warning to the ANC’s that many South Africans may well see the EFF as the better of two evils and hand them power in the face of the continuing arrogance of the governing party.
The way its leaders closed their ears to the voices of the 101 veterans who appealed for the party to return to its founding values does not augur well.
If SA is not careful, the EFF could end up as government of this country by default.
• Tabane is Author of Let’s Talk Frankly and host of Power Perspective on Power FM.
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