generalspeaking

Imperialist, Meet The Barbarian

South Africa has turned out to be an impossibly perplexing struggle between rationality and irrationality, democracy and tribal entitlements, aspiring civility and abandonment to criminal anarchy. It distinguishes itself by its reputation as the country with the world's highest homicide rate. For each 100,000 people, 37 murders are committed annually. Over 18,000 people are murdered in South Africa each year.

Violent crimes including robbery, beatings, torture, rape and murder are routine. There is a kind of madness in the society which appears to overtake attempts at normalcy. The AIDS/HIV infection rate is sky-high, yet the country's highest elected officials continue to believe in witchcraft as a source of amelioration; much worse, many still believe that intercourse with a child will result in a cure. One thousand South Africans die daily of AIDS.

The country's previous president, Thabo Mbeki thought folk medicine would do the cure. His appointed minister of health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang subscribed to the idea that the disease was a curse placed upon the country by the West, and that lemons, garlic and beets were reasonable treatments. Her outrageous denials about AIDS eventually did lead to her removal. Her replacement, Barbara Hogan, earned the respect of the international community for turning the country's policy on AIDS around.

The new president Jacob Zuma, a proud Zulu who won election as head of the African National Congress, later assuming the presidency, proved to be even more ignorant than his predecessors. After raping the HIV-positive daughter of a close friend whom he claimed invited the assault, he understood that as long as he showered immediately afterward all would be well with him. And he has fired health minister Barbara Hogan.

But this man is not only an ignoramus, he is a racketeer and a tax-evader; utterly corrupt, materially and morally. He was, in fact, charged with corruption, racketeering and tax evasion, but managed to have those charges dismissed on a technicality. As head of the ANC, and president of the country, justice can be evaded.

His religion, he claims, permits him to have multiple wives and he now has three; of the two others he also had, one committed suicide and another divorced him. The father of up to 35 children, the 67-year-old feels himself equal in prestige, bearing, intelligence to any. And he felt quite confident in slamming Britain as an imperialist country with a superiority complex which he found detestable.

"When the British came to our country they said everything we did was barbaric, was wrong, inferior in whatever way", this South African president stated in an interview with the Johannesburg Star, before leaving on his state visit to Britain. "I don't know why they are continuing thinking that their culture is more superior than others... I am very clear on these issues, I've not looked down upon any culture of anyone..."

He is resentful of being patronized, having evidently been made aware of an opinion piece that appeared in the Daily Mail newspaper where the query, "Jacob Zuma is a sex-obsessed bigot ... So why is Britain fawning over this buffoon?" appeared. On arrival in Britain, President Zuma and his latest wife were welcomed by the Queen, were brought by ceremonial carriage to Buckingham Palace.

At the palace they were feted with a state banquet. The week's schedule includes meetings with the country's prime minister and opposition leaders. The South African president will address parliament in a speech to MPs. An aide to Mr. Zuma has advised that "Mr. Zuma is in the U.K. for [a] wide-ranging program of substantial and serious issues." He is, then, to be taken seriously.

A young South African who now lives in Britain, having witnessed Mr. Zuma's arrival, had this to say: "I don't think Zuma sets a very good example with his behaviour. South Africa is a country extremely affected by AIDS so his behaviour could have implications." Indeed, yes.

Labels: Africa, Britain, Societal Failures, Values

posted by Pieface @ Friday, March 05, 2010