Just watched the documentary, “Behind the Rainbow” about the transition of the ANC from liberation party to a mainstream one.
The doccie itself plays out like a neat, sanitized “Time” Magazine article; inside but not insightful, complete but not comprehensive- A famed international director made it.
The director’s decision to largely focus on the Mbeki/Zuma battle is correct one, as this drama and how it played itself out in the media and communities, I say played out as one of the interviewees points out that they was no difference between Mbeki and Zuma policy-wise up until the snafu started-which is true, is a microcosm of the struggle we have in the country, the uneasiness of the haves and have-nots alliance.
I believe that we all believe in hard work. That it trumps everything.
But, look at it this way, some 18 year old worked hard this past exams to get a university exemption at 20% pa** rate school that he can’t fulfill, whilst money makes and privilege continues to buy anything from a suspended jail sentence to a better education.
How do you reconcile that?
Of course if the story is Mbeki and Zuma, the plot is the “Arms’s deal”.
To that issue I say the truth will likely never be known. Too much has been compromised- Legacies, comradeships, it feels like immediately after Mandela left, the party was turned into a high-school, jocks versus nerds where a life-long friend from primary school get ditched in a quest to climb the popularity ladder.
But this is sadder because there will not be those years of growth and introspection at university or wherever nor that reunion years later where hands and heads are shaken talking about those foolish years.
As an ANC supporter I wish I could press the reset button, but such is life.
It might be a documentary but it does have its villains, heroes, henchmen and third man on the sofa’s, and here, I try to create a credit roll of some sort as I saw it –all opinions.
Thabo Mbeki
Came off second worst, even his defenders had issues were they could not defend him. But the masterstroke was when they played that infamous last speech by Mandela as ANC president cautioning against “yes, man” leadership- talking about Mbeki, and followed by a clip of Mbeki joking about how he can never fit into Mandela’s shoes because there are too ugly. He did it wrong. It the hubris of smart people, they forget that not every occasion is about them.
Jacob Zuma
Still has no business trying to run this country, but, people, there was a conspiracy, which of course he is/wasn’t smart enough to spot. Take the shower statement and multiply by a thousand and you get a picture of how this man will be as a president- my primary school teacher used to say “idrummie idrummie” this cat will embarra** us “until Jesus comes back”.
Terror Lekota
The worse perfomer at an even worse time, what with COPE, launching and all. See I don’t truly believe that he is a lapdog per se, but judged on the comments attributed to him, he did to Mbeki what he hopes Malema will do to the ANC come election time. Snobbish, school-principalish and terrible.
Ronnie Kasril
I’ve been watching some Western movies, and specifically “The Wild Bunch” by Sam Peckingpah, it’s a story about men whose time is coming to an end, old criminals who want to preserve the old honour among thieves code.
He calls the time but fails to acknowledge the day of the week.
He was rightfully pleading for the principle that mad the ANC great, but wrongly never emotionally engages the other side.
The problem with this approach is that it so dividing, and you’re never going to change the minds for those you oppose and you immediately turn off the undecided.
Like me. I felt like I was watching a guy throwing a frog into a pot and telling it’s chicken stew.
Communications guy (?)
My surprise appearance was by this guy who was the ANC communications officer in the early 90’s, just after unbanning, clearly a Zuma symphatiser but until I see him on some government list or carrying Pres Zuma cell-phones, I still found his views most logical despite not agreeing with him on some issues.
