SOMETIMES even a revolutionary government can seem out of touch. The African National Congress (ANC), which has ruled South Africa since 1994, feels this problem acutely. In the bad old days of apartheid its leaders were unjustly imprisoned and widely admired, even as they broke rocks on Robben Island. Now they are more likely to be fighting corruption charges (like President Jacob Zuma) or living it up in a way their constituents could never afford. At a party in 2012 the then-deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe, told the crowd: “The leaders will now enjoy the champagne, and of course they do so on your behalf through their lips.”
To take voters’ minds off the present, the ANC likes to invoke the memory of heroes of struggle such as Nelson Mandela. But amid fierce campaigning ahead of local elections that are planned for August 3rd, control of history is a competitive business.
A newish left-wing opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is keen to align itself with the icons of the past. Last month it held a lecture on the life of Solomon Mahlangu, a member of the ANC who was hanged by the apartheid government. The...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/21wQR0l
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