So what did we expect?
How long can anarchy carry on without someone taking some action – dare I
say, before someone shows some “leadership”?
I’m talking about the tragic situation at Lonmin mines where a number of
people, including miners, security guards and policemen, have died over the
past week.
And now there is a clamour for an independent enquiry – and the
inevitable, predictable Julius Malema is jumping onto the bandwagon. But will we get to the real truth? Will we be asking the right questions?
For me the key question is “How did we get here?” How the heck did we get to this situation? It is not of concern to me as to which side
fired the first shot. That is an end
result, not a cause. We need to
understand the cause.
In my opinion the real “cause” of this situation – and many
other similar situations that are occurring daily somewhere in South Africa
today – is total and complete lack of Leadership. In the case of Lonmin, it is lack of
Leadership on the part of Lonmin management, making unilateral decisions that
impact so many people. Surely there was
an opportunity for compromise at some stage on the journey? But that would have needed Leadership!
Then, it is lack of Leadership on the part of Union
Management – BOTH unions concerned!
Surely it is the responsibility of union management to ensure that
protests do not become violent! Surely
it is the responsibility of union management to guide and “lead” their members
in a responsible manner! And surely
there was a time in the Lonmin situation, were union management could have
prevented the anarchy. Or maybe this was their strategy!
And finally, it is a lack of Leadership in Government. Zuma rode to the presidency on the back of
anarchy at Polokwane. Have we forgotten
the violent protests outside of the courts when he was to appear on corruption
(and other) charges? Have we forgotten
the out-of-control scenes of Polokwane when ANC leaders at the time were
appealing for calm and order? Have we
forgotten Malema’s “kill for Zuma” speech? Have we forgotten Malema’s “we put
you there we’ll take you out” speech?
What we have experienced since Polokwane is increasing and more violent
Anarchy!
And it’s time that someone took Leadership and said “so far
and no further”. It could not have been
an easy decision for SAPS leadership to give the order for “maximum force”. It could not have been easy for members of
one union (Popcru) to open fire on members of another union. It could not have been easy for police men
and women to fire on other men and women – fellow citizens of this country. When this happens you KNOW the consequences,
and I’m not talking about public outcry and independent enquiries. I mean you know that people are going to
die. That is just not an easy decision
for anyone to take. But having watched
their colleagues being hacked to death earlier – what would your choice have
been?
What is so sad is that this became virtually the only
decision that could be made after a week of increasing violence and death – the
merciless hacking to death of people whose only responsibility it was to
protect lives. SAPS leadership were left
with no other choice – Leadership in all other areas, organisational, union and
political, let them down!
I for one, give my thanks to SAPS. Thanks for having the guts to do what no-one
else had the guts to do. And I’m so sorry
that you were forced into taking this action. And even more sorry that you are now taking flack because of it.
It is time for all of us to draw the line on anarchy in
South Africa. We need to stop this anarchistic
behaviour that has been so prevalent - and growing - in all protest situations throughout
our country.
The so-called “leaders” of this anarchy (and I include
Malema) need to know that destroying property is NOT OK, threatening the lives
of people, whether innocent bystanders or not, is NOT OK, threatening to take
down a legal government by force (that is what “rendering ungovernable” is
about) is NOT OK, and hacking and killing security guards and members of the
police force is just NOT OK!!!!
If this situation draws a line in the sand that says “so far
and no farther”, then those people did not lose their lives in vain. We learned the lesson. If, however, those in Leadership positions
throughout South Africa remain ambivalent to this behaviour, then sadly we will
sink still further, and more and more of these tragic situations will
occur. So ... what is it going to be? The choice is ours in the next election. Let's ensure that the people that we vote for are, in fact, "Leaders", in the real sense of the term.