SIYANDA Mhlongo of Cope is a regular letter writer. I enjoy his letters, not because they are informative or added any value, but because they expose his lack of understanding of the ANC and what it stands for.

SIYANDA Mhlongo of Cope is a regular letter writer. I enjoy his letters, not because they are informative or added any value, but because they expose his lack of understanding of the ANC and what it stands for.

Many of his letters do not bring hope but are an attack on the ANC. Mhlongo's disgusting letter about the "Zulufication" of the government attests to this. His claim that there are more Zulus in the government is an insult to the ANC, which is led by men and women of integrity. Tribalism has never been part of the ANC.

There is a consultative process before appointments are made. The ANC would never appoint people along tribal lines as this would be against their constitution and code of good practice.

Mhlongo's perception is not only wrong, but very dangerous, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal where many people died because of tribal conflict. He wants to stoke fires of hate and mistrust, which could lead to violence. He seems to be stuck in the 1980s, when the ANC was under attack by the apartheid government and IFP. The apartheid government used swart gevaar to instil fear in white people and the IFP used Xhosa gevaar to dissuade Zulus from joining the ANC.

Now, after 15 years of democracy, Mhlongo is warning of a Zulu gevaar. This propaganda is aimed at demonising the ANC and its leaders and confusing the masses. When the former state and the IFP waged disinformation against the ANC, Mhlongo was a student activist. He correctly fought against this view as myth and a distortion of truth.

Since joining Cope, he seems to have done an about-turn. It is not surprising though, since he left the ANC because he was bitter about not benefitting after the ANC took a disciplined stand against those who regarded themselves as traditional leaders.

Mandla Mthethwa, Umbumbulu