SIBONGAKONKE SHOBA | ANC leaders speak with forked tongue on migrants issue

It is not only former Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi and EFF leader Julius Malema who have lived to regret their blind support for MK Party president Jacob Zuma.

A significant number of ANC leaders, even from KwaZulu-Natal, wish they could turn back the hands of time. The “Zuma tsunami” was unstoppable, even as skeletons tumbled out of his closet almost every weekend.

Many of his former supporters now admit, with hindsight, that they should have heeded the warnings about the man they elevated to the Union Buildings. No matter the evidence of his deeply flawed character and questionable ethical judgment, they rallied behind him because of his popularity.

Supporting Zuma was seen as the popular view, and that popularity translated into votes for the party, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. Even men of upright character threw their weight behind him. Most of the support Zuma enjoyed was based on his pull power rather than principle.

Some of it was motivated by fear of losing support should Zuma be discarded. Those who questioned this unprincipled stance were vilified, while others were thrown into the political dustbin of history.

The leaders of the ANC today, and those in government, appear not to have learnt anything from this recent history. The party’s failure, and the government’s reluctance, to take a firm stance on the moronic attacks against black foreign nationals is a clear indication that many in the ANC would still sell principle at the altar of expediency.

ANC and government leaders have spoken with forked tongues when responding to the issue of growing vigilantism targeting foreign nationals. Take, for example, this statement by ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli this week in parliament: “The ANC’s position must be clear and principled. We reject xenophobia. We reject vigilantism. We reject the demonisation of African migrants. We also strongly reject the display of arrogance and contempt from some foreign nationals living in our country.”

Where do you stand? The vigilante movement has issued an ultimatum to foreigners to leave the country before the end of the month. This message is communicated during illegal raids of foreign-owned shops, where suspected foreigners are assaulted and manhandled by mobs.

I have yet to hear of a proposed campaign from the so-called leader of society to counter the June 30 threat or a plan by the government to quell the situation ahead of that date.

It is scandalous that a government which correctly stood up for the people of Palestine by reporting Israel to the International Court of Justice for committing genocide is reluctant to defend human rights within its own borders.

The contradiction is glaring: a government that claims to champion justice abroad but hesitates to confront injustice at home.

I admire Malema for speaking out against these attacks, even if it comes at a cost at the polls. His stance needs to be commended, as it shows he is unwilling to sacrifice principle in exchange for votes. While I may not agree with the EFF’s open-border policy, the party’s condemnation of hatred against black non-South Africans is exemplary.

The immigration crisis is the creation of the ANC government’s failure to guard our borders. The influx of illegal immigrants who have taken over some of our neighbourhoods should be placed squarely at the feet of government.

The government should desist from its gaslighting strategy that denies the existence of xenophobia. Two Mozambican men were killed during riots in the Western Cape, and many survivors were left homeless.

It is high time our government took a tough stance on the issue before more lives are lost. Protecting human lives should not depend on their citizenship. To pretend otherwise is to abandon the very values enshrined in our constitution.

Leadership is not about following a popular view; it is about upholding principle and morals, even when they appear inconvenient. The ANC has lost the moral high ground on many fronts, from corruption scandals to factional battles that have paralysed governance.

Yet, its leaders should at least pretend to care about the lives of ordinary people. Is that asking for too much? The truth is that South Africans are weary of leaders who speak in riddles and treat principle as optional.

The attacks on foreign nationals are not merely a law‑and‑order issue; they are a test of whether our democracy still has a moral compass.