The civil society movement in South Africa has a rich history of activism. Besides dealing with bread and butter issues, which saw them engaged in anti-poverty drives, many NGOs played a significant role in the fight for justice and freedom.

The civil society movement in South Africa has a rich history of activism. Besides dealing with bread and butter issues, which saw them engaged in anti-poverty drives, many NGOs played a significant role in the fight for justice and freedom.

But it so happens that some civil society organisations, especially those with an overtly political agenda, have a natural, limited shelf-life and, painful as it might be for their members, become irrelevant with time.

Sanco is one such body. Let's face it, Sanco was never really concerned with advancing the interests of ratepayers. It was a partisan, political organ that delivered the masses to the ANC alliance.

It has lost its reason for being, hence it is self-destructing so fast. It should have closed shop aeons ago and spared us all the buffoonery that has become its hallmark these days.