ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 11 • 21 - 27 May 2010
I would be surprised if creative minds have not started a movie reminiscent on the birth of COPE. The fanfare, drama and headlines that occupied every media space when the divorce papers were served are but too much to forget. Academics, political commentators and editors; all sang the same song- south African landscape will never be the same for it was argued Cope formation will bring back sanity in our body politic.
The thrust of this mantra, fed on us by opinion makers, was that the birth of cope is fundamental to the protection of our constitution and rule of law, which by implication were at threat by the continued domination of the African National Congress. The striking feature of this development was that for the first time we were likely to see the real alternative to the ANC, because many people had always argued that real opposition will come from within the ANC. Any student of African Politics will bear testimony to this assertion.
We therefore have to ask a question; has our constitution ever been under threat? The answer to this important question is varied, and unfortunately will always be underpinned by socio-economic situation of each individual. For the propertied class-who by all means would want to maintain and protect their social status, domination of one party will always spell threat to democracy, especially if the policy orientation is re-distributive in nature. We should also note that these are loudest voice in society because they own not only means of production, but also of media. They have unlimited access to courts, media and finance.
On the other side, democracy and rule of law for the majority, who with a lot of irritation continue to support the ANC, means dislocation of oppressive system which for many years has denied them of their human dignity. It means eradication of poverty, disease, illiteracy, fear and want. It means access to economic opportunities, creation of decent work and a chance to live with dignity in their own country.
The formation of COPE was never about these ideals, but mainly grounded in deep anger, frustration and failure to accept democracy at play. The sole reason they were hailed by the propertied class, given unlimited media space and funding, was not because they provided a guarantee to the rule of law and constitution, but because they had a potential to weaken the ANC, which because of its policy orientation is bias to the majority poor.
If there is any lesson we can learn out of the cope episode and contrary to popular sentiment, is that the real threat to the stability of the country is the propertied class, because they will always use their dominance in society to continuously consign the majority to squalor, poverty and degradation, and any resistance will always be construed as threat to democracy and rule of law.
Cope was never going to succeed. In many situations where people have resentment with the ANC, they chose to abstain rather than vote the alternative.
ANC is much aware of this, hence a constant call to its structures never to take for granted the patience and confidence of the people. The loud silence by these fortune tellers who hailed the birth of cope is not surprising. They are left with eggs on their faces. The shikota marriage is threading on a thin line. The victory here is democracy. Resentment of democracy does not bring about progress or success.
Mpho Gabashane
Nelspruit
Grief, greed and anger cannot sustain democracy and rule of law