Food for thought - The Devil's Advocate: Defending the Guptas

The Guptas did a good job, we should be thankful for the investment they brought into this country. Many were outraged when they said that "we must be thankful" for the investment they brought into our country.

I wish not to be the only one thinking that the Guptas have done nothing wrong to our country, Neither is Jacob Zuma or Officials suspended. Nonetheless, I have no inclination to be right, I am merely speaking my mind here.

I am grateful to the Guptas for they afforded us an opportunity to see what we have become, that is a priceless investment. When someone gives you an opportunity to see yourself for what you truly are, such a person should be shown gratitude. We must take ownership and responsibility over the bananability that our Republic has become and to that extension--what we have become.

The movie called the "Guptagate" as authored and directed with full Indian cast  staged  at Waterkloof Air Force base was nothing short of a thriller. The nation went flabbergast including those whom we have placed the confidence of running the country, those we have entrusted with ensuring our national security and protecting our sovereignty by all means and powers delegated to them. They too were as surprised as we were (official explanation).   

But the national reaction was/is nothing novel, just the usual tradition of playing the blame game, media is pointing fingers at the government, the Guptas and is alleging political foul play. And the general citizenry is playing the holly Lamb, some of us are laughing at what seems to be the worst political theatrics of our day and age with no sense of our very own culpability in this whole mess.

Yes, it is farfetched, nevertheless that is the nature of the truth, it is seldom on the surface. The Guptas did well, so did everyone who played a part in this movie, be they Gupta guests who were apparently racist, the Sun City management which apparently didn't act in the face of this impunity, the VIP protection hide and seek and all.

We should be grateful for this Movie, for it mirrored that which we have become as a nation. It is an opportunity for us to see ourselves through those we have elected to lead us. Security is a critical national issue and so is the delivery of text books to learners and soberly I'd expect the State which turns a blind eye on education to also turn another on national security and all other critical national issues.

One way or the other we have empowered the ANC and disempowered ourselves. They can elect a corrupt president and we still vote for him, they can recycles corrupt and the incompetents of the last measure, we can do very little about it.  Anything ANC wants, ANC gets, simply because we, the people, have allowed it to do as it please. If the ANC organize a march against an artist's at the Goodman gallery, everyone flocks like a sheep, if doesn't, everyone takes a back seat and burble just like I am doing, armchairs criticism.

Let me, an ordinary civilian; toss a challenge on your face. CAN WE ORGANISE A MARCH TO UNION BUILDINGS about the Gupta-gate with number of demands regarding our National Security and other critical issues such as a crisis-point youth unemployment, state of education system, etc? CAN WE? Or should we organize a "reminder" Protest to GOODMAN Gallery to shows our outrage about exposing the president's "private citizen"?

WHO IS IN FOR A PROTEST/MARCH about the GUPTA-Gate? I WISH I'd get the same response as Mantashe and Mthembu did when they incited our people to charge against the Goodman Gallery.

If we find it impossible to organize this march then we should not be surprised when those in position of national authority do as they please, for we have become a nation that is very tolerant to mediocrity and have no sense of pride. Otherwise how is possible that Angie Motshekga still regards herself as a Minister of education if she was not in charge of the education system whose subjects have become powerless and tolerant to bad leadership? How else can Nkandla-gate be possible if we have not became the nation where leaders take precedence over the people? Where self-interest is blatantly important than national interests?

There is just too much mess for an awakened nation to tolerate but as we continue to fall deep into our national slumber, great people like the Guptas comes through to say 'hey, wake up, this is a New  Age of eastern colonization, your black government will always have a master of some sort'

Therefore to blame anything on the Guptas, the ANC leadership is to miss a point. If we fail to identify the root cause of national challenges we may never have an ability to solve them. Equally if we point fingers at few others and therefore personalize national challenges as 'incompetence' of few individuals then we are taking away power from ourselves, the creed of democracy is such that is the rule of the people by the people. But the people must assert themselves and that must reflect in the caliber of leadership they elect to power and how that leadership is held to account, at some point with dire consequences to reassert the power of democracy.

The action of the authority by and large reflect those whom they lead, safe to say, Gupta-gate reflect our national attitudes as opposed to the attitudes of the few who had to take the blame for what happened. You can be sure that when the suspended Chief of Protocol took an official decision to let Gupta Airbus in the Air Force Base, he had little concern for you and me (the people) than he had for the executive authority and it is in this regard that some are alleging that is unlikely that he acted without an executive green light. This happens because in this country the people have become powerless stooges of those who are infatuated by state power. These leaders can only do as far as we allow them. To put blame on them is to take away the power we have as citizens to recall them.

It is within this context that early this morning a thought of expressing my deep sense of gratitude to the Gupta's entered my mind. And none dare challenge me when I say, the Gupta's are none guilty and so are the political powers that be. South Africa, let us not shoot the messengers, and even when the mirror reflect the image to our embarrassment, to break into piece will not change the image. To condemn the Guptas and all those we have been held responsible for the 'mess' will not change the mess, obviously we have to do something meaningful and start asserting our responsibility over this nation. It is our Republic, those we have elected in positions of power have proved their incapability in many ways but we let them stay there and expect different result...and that is what is insanity is all about.

But what is more insane here? The Gupta-gate scandal or the fact that we 'the people' have elected the people who allowed the Gupta-gate scandal? I think the latter.

From - Asaph Madimetja Chuene writes on behalf of the Establishment for Political Redress (EPR)