By Alec Hogg
A lifetime ago, being South African, male, young and white meant two years of National Service or, for most of us, “the army”. But, like most naïve 17-year-olds in that predicament, my biggest challenge wasn’t the why, but how to keep going when a system (PT Instructors, Drill Instructors, the RSM and of course ‘Korporaal’) was doing its utmost to break you down.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___The trump card of these psychopaths always seemed to arrive at the worst possible moment – the “Dear John….” letter from the girl who wouldn’t wait. Mine came like a punch to the gut just five weeks into basic training. I never saw the writer again, but still remember what she wrote. From that point onwards, my soldiering (such as it was) switched to pure survival.
Yesterday should have been one of the best in John Steenhuisen’s 47 years. He was cheered by a hall full of Democratic Alliance colleagues when re-elected leader of South Africa’s most prominent opposition political party. His acceptance speech was superb, as we’ve recently come to expect from the maturing Northwood old boy (an alma mater, too, of RW Johnson).
Yet Steenhuisen received his own “Dear John…” letter yesterday from businessman turned activist Rob Hersov who is appalled at the DA’s inability to elevate its thinking strategically. Hersov says he is close to leaving the DA because it “has a very provincial view….is intellectually shallow.” He urges Steenhuisen to embrace all other anti-ANC/EFF parties or lose in 2024.
Hersov says if Steenhuisen doesn’t change tack and offer a willing ear to Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance, his dream of leading the DA into the Union Buildings will be stillborn. “Do the math” he urges because the financial backers the DA needs for its campaign have done so. “Dear John’s….” always arrive at the worst possible time, don’t they? Click here.
More for you to read:
- Size anchoring growth – Ranmore Founder, Sean Peche’s BNC#5 presentation on whether investments do better in speedboats or tankers. Click here.
- Following his presentation, Peche answers questions at BNC#5 and provides insight into keeping his fund in the top 1% of global performers. Click here.
- The deepfake revolution may revive mainstream media, AI’s recent explosion begs the question – who are you going to believe: News outlets that can be held legally accountable, or your lying eyes? Click here.
