After completing its first solo flight, the young mosquito returned buzzing with excitement. It eagerly told its mother about the enthusiastic applause it received from everyone. However, the mother swiftly burst its bubble, revealing that what it mistook for applause were actually deadly slaps aimed at ending its life.
By Themba Khumalo
It is a shame that our so-called leaders are shielded from the harsh truths that even a mosquito would tell its offspring. Instead, they are surrounded by sycophants whose sole purpose is to enrich themselves through their positions of power.
Many of these leaders end up straying from whatever well-meaning intentions because they are seldom confronted with the unadulterated truth by their peers and supporters when they start heading in the wrong direction.
Much like Squealer from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a coterie of flunkies surrounding political leaders acts as a barrier to any form of criticism or truth that might burst their bubble. The irony lies in the fact that these brownnosers are carefully selected by the leaders to echo their every whim.
The truth, we are told, is often bitter, but it must be spoken!
That is why the saying “speaking truth to power” is all about fearlessly delivering the bitter truth to those in charge, no matter the consequences. It is the ultimate act of bravery, standing up to authority and demanding fairness and justice. It is about sounding the alarm for the leader when their decisions put the citizens in harm’s way.
This is what we call moral courage!
When moral courage is stuck in a place filled with lickspittles who are as timid as mice and lack the bravery to confront the political fiends who are preying on the hopes and dreams of the people, it might as well pack its bags and head for the hills.
The danger with the lickspittles in our politics is that they will go to great lengths to promote deadly snake poison as a solution for headaches. The misleadingly named Government of National Unity (GNU) is just another harmful deception being pushed as a remedy for South Africa’s problems when the reality is that it only serves to benefit selfish and greedy individuals and capital entities.
The fragile GNU is deceitfully presented as a means to guarantee that tasks are carried out correctly but lacks the calibre of leadership necessary to not only ensure that tasks are carried out correctly but also ensure that they are the correct tasks.
As South Africans we just cannot get enough of hope, but seriously, how many incompetent clowns need to be running the show before our country turns into an even bigger cesspool than it already is?
It is like a never-ending parade of incompetence!
The GNU’s signatory parties have made grand promises to uphold the Constitution, transparency, evidence-based decision-making, professionalism, and integrity. But let us call a spade a spade – these commitments are as flimsy as a house of cards in a hurricane.
The oversized cabinet, with an outrageous 32 Ministers and 43 Deputy Ministers, resembles a chaotic circus of clashing egos and vested interests, with the ANC and DA pulling the strings like puppeteers.
This GNU is a complete travesty! We have been given a cup filled with poison disguised as something palatable. The gap between the rich and the poor will only widen further, with the wealthy growing even wealthier and the poor plunging into even greater poverty. Those in power will have their lackeys grovelling at their feet, hoping for the tiniest morsel of favour. If you doubt my words, take a good and closer look at the cabinet ministers and their deputies.
The cabinet is overflowing with bootlickers whose primary responsibility is to drive progress, expansion, and advancement in line with the whims of the all-too-powerful market forces. Not a single soul among the political parties within the Government of National Unity possesses the spine and testicular fortitude to transcend the mere act of passively overseeing the country, and instead shatter boundaries and challenge the existing norms.
An exceptional leader should not be afraid to ruffle feathers and disrupt the established order.
Without the backbone and testicular fortitude of a thousand bulls, we are doomed to be mere pawns in the hands of power-hungry politicians who thrive on empty promises of poverty reduction through so-called democratic measures.
Are we content to remain passive spectators, or will we finally step up and assert our rights as citizens who deserve to be heard and valued?