GARETH VAN ONSELEN: Who are the brave and courageous in SA today?
Real courage is to be found in the opposition, some media, and civil society in so many aspects of South African life. But not in the ANC
Here is an interesting question: In postapartheid South Africa (and excluding all the old-school ANC icons) who has been the bravest public figure? It is worth contemplating because, as our moral decline accelerates, we have attached much to the idea of courage. It is a widely applied label, although not always appropriately used, and a concept often evoked in the wake of the destruction wrought by the ANC. Many contemporary acts are viewed through this particular lens. Bravery and courage are now the sine qua non for how we understand leadership. The dictionary definition of courage (a conscious decision to act in the face of some adversity) and cowardice (the absence of courage) are somewhat ambiguous. As if to make up for that, convention would have it that there is a moral element to bravery too; that courage is not just the decision to act but that any such act must be ethical — to "do the right thing".That would ensure someone like Jacob Zuma is precluded, for example. Say wha...
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