I remember that Kelly Khumalo and Khanyi Mbau published their books (memoirs) around the same time and a friend at the time vehemently dismissed both books as unworthy.

He promised to never purchase or read the books - saying they were not the type of books he would ever consider reading. He felt that both books were dull, and so cared little about the contents.

I did inform my friend that I found it remarkable that he could simply dismiss any book even before reading it. I was stunned that any person could prejudge any book and question its substance without ever having read it.

The same thing happened when an acquaintance dismissed Jacques Pauw's The President's Keepers as rubbish. She too had not read the book.

When I told another friend about how strange I found it that there are people who dismiss books they have not even read, he said anti-intellectualism in SA was on the rise.

So true is the fact, that we see this even today in the ruling party. There is growing anti-intellectualism within the ANC. It's wanting that the ruling party responded so negatively to a book they had not read - labelling it fake news. The ANC is following the growing trend where those in power fail to engage by "othering" those who show their underbelly.

Gangster State - Unravelling Magashule's Web of Capture by journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh details the ANC's secretary-general Ace Magashule's alleged massive corruption among other serious allegations in Free State while he was still premier.

The ANC, in a dramatic turnabout, said that Magashule "will take it alone as an individual, because it involves his era as former premier not his current position as the SG".

This is a remarkable show of ignorance and even arrogance. How is Magashule's alleged corruption among other serious allegations as a premier not so much an ANC problem?

Was he premier as an individual, or was Magashule an ANC- elected premier?

Critically, we must question the kind of message the party is giving to its ordinary members about serious allegations - it is like saying that corruption is not so much an ANC problem, if say an ordinary branch member is corrupt to the bone.

The ruling party is nonchalant about serious allegations in the face of an ongoing state capture inquiry.

And it also doesn't help that there are those who acted as gatekeepers and watched as state resources were being syphoned - today they are our leaders.

But when you think it cannot get worse, the party further drives its point home and says that its secretary-general had "agreed to take the matter up legally in his capacity as Ace Magashule the former premier of Free State."

As if this helps!

While I still do not follow the logic, how corruption as premier is less severe or is an "individual" problem, than corruption as SG, of course, Magashule taking up the matter legally is fully within his rights.

However, you might find it astonishing that the SG is reported to have said he will head to court, for both allegations made in the state capture inquiry and the book, because the findings of commissions are anyway not binding - since it is not a court of law.

Attitude is everything.

The actual basis of any legal challenge should be very interesting since Myburgh has defended the book and said he has documents to prove all the allegations against Magashule.

Fundamentally, the allegations against the Magashule expos� the ruling party's inherent lack of action against corruption. Any office bearer, any individual occupying public office, represents their party, whether he is premier or SG.