COSATU Slams Mbeki

News24 picked up on COSATU’s denunciation of Thabo Mbeki’s Presidential sophistry. The Star has put the story on its front page today, and also carries a sharp Dov Fedler cartoon on its editorial page (page 12), which is unfortunately not available on their web site. See the first two links below. Essop Pahad is the Minister in the Presidency, which is a growth on the head of the state. King Louis XIV of France said: “L’État c’est Moi”, meaning “The State? It’s me!” or “I am the State!”. In South Africa’s case the Presidency thinks it is the State. Essop Pahad thinks that he can ban an individual from any employment with any part of the State. His dispute with Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, according to him, is: “not merely between the employee and the presidency, but the relationship between the employee and the state as a whole”. See the linked Editorial and report from the City Press, below. It seems that unilateral diktat and inability to negotiate is more that an aberration in the Presidency, but rather that the Presidency seeks to extend its anathemas to the whole state apparatus, (and even as far as the South African High Commission in London). In ancient Greece this kind of prideful, contemptuous arrogance was a crime. It was called “hubris”. The crime of hubris invited the inexorable retribution of “Nemesis”. Nemesis is approaching the US Imperialists. See Robert Fisk’s denunciation of the US continuing assault on Iraq, linked below. Pinochet died. He may have escaped the courts but the verdict of the Chilean people is clear. His name will forever stand for what we must guard against, with the force of an armed people, if necessary. In his “photo-opportunity” remarks with President Bush last week, President Mbeki said: “The President also mentioned, I discussed with the President the impact of the situation in Darfur on the neighboring countries, particularly Chad and the Central African Republic. But also the difficult situation in Somalia—“ (Bush interjected: “Yes, sir!”) “-- and the President, together, we are very keen that, indeed, something must move there. This was a failed state. It's necessary to support the transitional government, to restoring a government and to reunify the country, and so on. It's an important thing because the problem, one of the big problems is that as it is, it provides a base for terrorists, find safe haven there and then can spread out to the rest of the continent. It's something that is of shared concern.” When Bush visited South Africa and called Mbeki “my point man” it was not entirely clear what was meant. The above exchange of words concerning North-East African countries may provide a very specific example of what Bush meant. In Sudan “the West”, or the “international community”, or in other words Imperialism, acting on the promptings of the USA, is busy undermining a sovereign government. In Somalia, the question of what “restoring a government” amounts to will be decided selectively according to the point of view of the speaker. Such decisions, if taken in Washington, are likely to result in rumours of wars, and then actual wars, which South Africans do not want to be getting involved in on the side of Imperialism. The blog “Lenin’s Tomb” has opened the question of Somalia up very nicely in the last linked article, below. Our President owes us a full explanation of his remarks in Washington. Click on these links: Cosatu slams Mbeki over racism, News24 (353 words) Cosatu slams Mbeki on ministers with business interests, Star (352 words) Pahad finger-wagging, abuse of power, City Press (456 words) Enemy of the state, Mpumelelo Mkhabela, City Press (826 words) Penny drops on futile war, Robert Fisk, Sunday Independent (724 words) Government forces vs Islamic militiamen, Lenin’s Tomb (859 words)