READER LETTER | ANC’s vision for GNU will take the country forward

There is no doubt that the current political impasse in the country cries out for complete and quality leadership from all political formations, including the labour movements.

But unfortunately, it is only the ANC and the DA that have risen to the occasion. The other parties are struggling like a pedestrian trying to cross a highway with cars moving in both directions at a mesmerising pace. Collectively, the leadership has to chart the way forward in the aftermath of the recent elections, whereby the ANC's electoral performance slipped from 57.50% in 2019 to 40.18% in 2024.

It is really a matter of national concern when some opposition party leaders don’t even know what the concept “coalition” entails. It is even more disappointing to see that others are clueless on the idea of a government of national unity (GNU).

This is surprising because SA once had a GNU that steered the country through the transition to democracy. This is the kind of ignorance that led to the economic collapse of Zimbabwe. These mediocre leaders, some of them being highly certificated, are, to borrow from Temba J Nkosi, “slaves of ignorance in a prison without walls”. They are self-seeking people who are driven by self-interest and care nothing about the stability of the country.

The ANC, on the other hand, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has proven to be a glittering beacon of political excellence.

The president has proven to be an internationalist pathfinder who is showing remarkable clarity of vision on the impasse at hand. He is right to say that everything should be done in the interest of the country.

And by so saying, he is calling for leaders to elevate themselves to a position of maturity, to compromise, collaborate and sacrifice for the common good of the country — a feat which is the highest level of patriotism. We have all seen that, as he marshals a sense of political direction for this country, his intellectual eyes are like stars in an aquamarine wonderland and his great mind is like Mount Bromo in Indonesia, situated on the volcano-dotted island of Java.

It is high time that the leaders in the other formations come to the party and escalate their saying quality to the level of that of the ANC leadership.

The ANC is surely alive and kicking to the current national challenge. Maybe it is because it has always had generations of quality leaders in the form of Chief Albert Luthuli, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Anton Lembede and many others. These other parties do not have this intellectual heritage. As they say, “great leaders never die, for their wisdom is forever present”.

I ask them, therefore, to think beyond positions and money, but to think of the five challenging years that lie ahead for this great country.

Let them be reminded of the timeless words of JF Kennedy, the 35th president of the US when he delivered his inaugural speech on January 20 1961.

“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”