Thought for the Day 7 September 2017

Politics is a dirty business. Cyril R. announces that he is a candidate for president of the ANC and his supporters cheer. His opponents do not take him on by debating his policies or his intelligence or his abilities or his successes. No – they immediately try to smear him by launching suggestions that he has had one (or more) affairs. Showing his character, he doesn’t run and hide or launch a counter-smear, he stands up before the house and promises to address all of the allegations in a few days. He doesn’t duck the issue or deny responsibility or say it wasn’t him. That, in itself, sets him above and apart from many other ANC politicians in leadership positions who have not behaved as honorably. We have others in high places, who have been accused of rape; who have plundered the state to the tune of two and a half million rand to upgrade their private home and pillaged much more through corruption; who have had many dalliances with women and ended up marrying five or six of them. To add insult to injury said politician then expects the state to carry the cost of all these wives. The double standards are horrible and should be inexcusable, but there, in front of us, we see them in action.

How sad and pathetic it all is. How boring it all is. How predictable it all is. But at the end of it all, I know which of them strikes me as the more worthy. So with all that in mind here is my thought for this week.

“When you shake someone’s hand and are then tempted to count your fingers to see if they are all still there, don’t make that someone your leader!”

Here’s hoping for a return to a country to be proud of, with leaders we can all look up to.

Cheers, Dave