By Alec Hogg
The world will be watching South Africa today. In the last seven months, citizen power ejected the corrupt presidents of Brazil and South Korea. Both now face the prospect of stiff jail sentences. South Africans have an opportunity to close out the trifecta.
But will they? The country’s awful past makes things more complicated, the ground more fertile for fake news. Like yesterday when ANC councillors brandished posters proclaiming the DA responsible for hanging political activist Solomon Mahlangu 38 years ago. A bit like blaming Leon Trotsky for the millions murdered by his rival Joe Stalin. The Gupta-paid London consultancy Bell Pottinger lacks morals, not the resources that buy willing accomplices.
Protestors were also thrown a late curve ball yesterday when the march to Union Buildings was declared unlawful, even though they’ve been working on the legalities for two weeks and immediately sought an urgent interdict. If that wasn’t enough, pro-Zuma forces scared off many with an open threat of violence against marchers. While Save SA and its allies are sticklers for being on the right side of the law, their opponents are clearly prepared to play dirty.
Today will tell us whether SA citizens have the stomach for 1980s-type protesting and the sacrifice it entails. Or whether Zuma and his crony capitalist friends will be allowed to plunder unimpeded.
