Police try to calm down the situation at Springfield mall near Umgeni road after supporters of former South African President Jacob Zuma close roads and looted the shops around the KZN during a protest. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng/African News Agency (ANA)
DURBAN - IT WAS exactly two weeks ago that we called for those clamouring for violence, bloodshed and authoritarianism to read the room.
Well, the room was not read, and two weeks later the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng economies have been set back by decades through massive losses as a result of the civil unrest that shook the country recently.
Also, the loss of life has yet to be measured, with unconfirmed reports that the death toll is sitting in the hundreds. While the trails of fear, death and destruction are fresh in our minds, then comes, wait for it … the theatrics of a “coup attempt” and “insurrection”.
How, for the life of us, did we get to this point? Alas, we did not expect anything new. The comedy of errors regarding the so-called “coup attempt” was yet another reminder of the calibre of leaders we are subjected to daily.
Amid a directionless economy, unemployment, poverty, hunger, judicial overreach and an intensified political purge of opponents, our leaders resorted to their usual search for lame excuses in justifying their cluelessness about the issues we, as a country, are grappling with.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula at least made the valid point that a coup would have had a stated leader who would have made it clear that they intended to overthrow the government. Also, a coup attempt would have taken the action straight to the Union Buildings in Pretoria and Parliament in Cape Town.
In addition, throughout military history, real coups and insurrections have been led by trained military personnel such as professional soldiers or guerrillas, or insurgents or freedom fighters.
How does an old gogo stealing 5l of cooking oil fall into this category?
To make matters worse, State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo has pointed a finger at Police Minister Bheki Cele and said she had provided him with intelligence about the riots.
Cele has publicly denied Dlodlo’s claims.
He then had to remind her about hierarchy, stating that information between them did not go to their directors-general, but was exchanged between ministers before it reached their subordinates.
Wow, what a time to be alive!
Daily News