Publications
Partners
Melanie Verwoerd
There is an old saying: "Be careful what you wish for." I quoted this frequently at the time of the ANC Polokwane conference, when Thabo Mbeki was "recalled" by the ANC. At the time Mbeki’s demise was widely celebrated both inside and outside the organisation, but very few people actually analysed his successor’s personality or abilities to run the country and less than five years later, at Madiba’s funeral, Mbeki was cheered and Zuma was booed.
Currently South Africa’s mood seems similar to that of the pre-Polokwane period. Many, if not most people, want to see change in the top position, hoping that it will bring about dramatic improvements in the country. However, as we know by now, change per se is not always good. If the right person does not succeed Jacob Zuma, we will not only see very little change, but circumstances might even get worse.
