THERE are those who think themselves champions of the poor and believe the best way of showing their love for this class of compatriots is to never engage with them honestly.
THERE are those who think themselves champions of the poor and believe the best way of showing their love for this class of compatriots is to never engage with them honestly.
They will say the anger of the poor anger is righteous, so they are entitled to employ any means at their disposal to make a point.
They might add that this is a class of people who do not have the space or time and resources that the chattering classes have to call radio stations and write letters to newspapers expressing their anger.
These self-styled savers of our people will also tell you that those who, like us, say it is time to take tough action against this lawlessness and those who think that they can go on looting shops and destroying public amenities are anti-poor.
They are wrong on each count. We will reverse the charge and say they are the ones who are anti-poor.
They are the ones who are exploiting the righteous anger of the people for a marginal, even pyrrhic victory.
While we accept as a no-brainer the fact that there are too many hungry people in this land of plenty, we can never justify people running into shops and pillaging.
Unless authorities take tough action against this lawlessness we will be left with anarchy long after the hungry have had their fill and the angry had been pacified.
We understand the ruling party's reluctance to act in a manner that some might say is reminiscent of the old order, but the ANC must remember that the mandate it got in last election was that it governs this country.
Keeping poor in the dark
THERE are those who think themselves champions of the poor and believe the best way of showing their love for this class of compatriots is to never engage with them honestly.
THERE are those who think themselves champions of the poor and believe the best way of showing their love for this class of compatriots is to never engage with them honestly.
They will say the anger of the poor anger is righteous, so they are entitled to employ any means at their disposal to make a point.
They might add that this is a class of people who do not have the space or time and resources that the chattering classes have to call radio stations and write letters to newspapers expressing their anger.
These self-styled savers of our people will also tell you that those who, like us, say it is time to take tough action against this lawlessness and those who think that they can go on looting shops and destroying public amenities are anti-poor.
They are wrong on each count. We will reverse the charge and say they are the ones who are anti-poor.
They are the ones who are exploiting the righteous anger of the people for a marginal, even pyrrhic victory.
While we accept as a no-brainer the fact that there are too many hungry people in this land of plenty, we can never justify people running into shops and pillaging.
Unless authorities take tough action against this lawlessness we will be left with anarchy long after the hungry have had their fill and the angry had been pacified.
We understand the ruling party's reluctance to act in a manner that some might say is reminiscent of the old order, but the ANC must remember that the mandate it got in last election was that it governs this country.
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