Message to the South African opposition parties

While members of the South African ruling party (the ANC and Alliance) are reportedly living in opulence, the majority of South Africans live in abject poverty. The Times Live reports that a study found that among children under the age of ten, two out three are poor. The rising number of service delivery protests around the country paint a picture of dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to deliver proper services and alleviate poverty.

There has never been a better opportunity for opposition (political) parties in South Africa to step up their game than the present. Of course at the rate at which the ANC and their alliance partners are going at one another’s throats, this opportunity will get better until sanity prevails within the ruling party.

Opposition parties, in particular those who are predominantly Black and progressive, should hit the streets and talk to the poor and the downtrodden people of South Africa. These people are in the majority.

Their message to the people of South Africa should highlight the following
. That the poor are not to blame for the situation they find themselves in; and the power to change their social and economic milieu is in their hands.
· That the poor have as much right to opportunities of wealth as anybody else.
· That the poor deserve better, should get better treatment and can be treated as they deserve (better).
· That nobody, with or without struggle credentials, is better than the next by virtue of his connections to somebody or a group of people deemed important.
· That the government is their servant and not the other way around.
· That the government serves at their mercy and they reserve the right and most importantly the power to change the status quo.
· That they are not helpless and can remove the government from power.
· That they should not be afraid to let the government know this; in fact they should threaten them with removal from power.
· The message of the opposition to the poor should be to educate them about the power at their disposal – the VOTE.
· That their willingness to unite in sit-ins, strikes, work stayaway and support for sanctions (even punitive no matter the negative consequences) brought the most powerful and brutal system of government to their senses and knees; this power they still possess and can use it effectively.
· That it is their lives and livelihood that is the subject of politics and not the betterment of politicians.
· That they as the opposition are willing and ready to lead to fight against neo-oppression, subjugation and deception.

But most importantly, the opposition should avoid shooting themselves in their feet by attacking the current ruling party (or parties – for no one knows which faction of the ruling party really runs the party, let alone the country).

Attacking the ruling elite will dilute the important message and reduce this very important assignment to mudslinging. It could also be a catalyst for the ruling party to unite against what they would perceive to be a common enemy. In short, it would scuttle the attempts to liberate our people mentally and socio-economically

Rise up opposition and save our country from madness and further poverty. The ground is fertile.