By Raymond Suttner
Nkandla has left the country in crisis. Now, we need to draw in a range of actors who have an interest in restoring clean government, non-violence and peace, addressing inequalities and rebuilding our democracy.
“When people elect a president, they don’t look for angels. They look for somebody they think will be able to run their country at that given moment.”-ANC KwaZulu- Natal leader, Senzo Mchunu.
There is a sense of crisis that pervades South African politics in the aftermath of the Public Protector’s Nkandla report. Many ANC stalwarts have wrestled with the culture of impunity surrounding questions of corruption, culminating in the audaciously irregular Nkandla expenditure. Some have called on the president to resign in the interest of the organisation and/or the interests of the country whose constitution he is sworn to uphold. Others have called on him to account and pointed to his being implicated in every major scandal of his term in office. Still others have focused on the forthcoming elections and said they can no longer vote for the ANC, suggesting that people should spoil their votes. Some previous ANC supporters have joined the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and some may vote for other parties.
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