By Thulasizwe Sithole
Judging by the trend on social media, forensic sleuth and giant-slayer, Paul O’Sullivan’s latest battle with his old arch enemy, now Police Minister, Bheki Cele, (plus most ANC MP’s), is elevating him to superhero status.
It brings to mind the American crime television series, Gotham City, developed by Bruno Heller and based on characters appearing in and published by DC Comics in their Batman franchise. If you haven’t watched it, never mind, some would say it’s playing out right here in South Africa, complete with Detective James Gordon (aka Paul O’Sullivan) and underworld boss Carmine Falcone (pick your aka from the State Capture-villain menu). It’s a dark fantasy, but one theme shines undiminished – the hero overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds with City Hall completely in the thrall of Gotham’s mafia bosses.
Here’s Nathi Ntshobowana’s social media input; “SA politicians, ANC in particular have no space for people who want to serve the interests of the country. They will defend each other and make sure that the voice of the voiceless diminishes until it dies, then play heroes to the masses.”
Dorian Fine believes O’Sullivan is “a national asset! Brave, smart and incorruptible,” while Heléne Du Plooy adds, “this man has integrity, which so many lack.”
Christopher Stevenson is more basic; “surprised he (O’Sullivan) manages to walk with balls that size.”
While O’Sullivan’s unceasing crusade (two police commissioners under the belt), evokes such social media hero-worship, his imbedded alter-ego and erstwhile ally, Robert McBride, fares slightly less well.
Recently kicked out as IPID chief, ostensibly because he had too much dirt on too many powerful politicians (including Cele, whom he controversially had to report to), McBride’s MK struggle history, most controversially his central role in the fatal 1986 bombing of Magoo’s Bar in Durban (where security police apparently socialised), still rankles.
Simon Boosey’s emotive; “McBride took away lives, hearing, eyesight, broke up family’s and more when he CHOSE to bomb Magoos, scum of the earth, who cares what happens to him he should have swung,” is tempered by this more measured input from Des Cauvin Jacobs; “I don’t like McBride but he has done an excellent job at IPID, independence & morals.”
You can’t script this stuff – our truth is even stranger than Bruno Heller’s fiction it seems.
