GARETH VAN ONSELEN: The ANC is without shame or embarrassment
George Orwell wrote that in a truly totalitarian state, war is peace and love is hate. He might have added that incompetence is excellence and corruption is good governance
Why is it that you never see ANC representatives expressing authentic shame or embarrassment? There is no shortage of things to feel shamed or embarrassed about. And they aren’t marginal calls either, but profound catastrophes that almost defy belief in the depth and breadth of their collection incompetence. We see arrogance — there is no dearth of that particular attitude. We see contempt; the ANC fairly oozes the stuff. We see disdain and indifference, pride and conceit — every emotion that speaks to a generally callous disregard for the consequences of ANC governance. The full spectrum of narcissism is on permanent and unabashed display. But actual humility? Not an iota. The ANC is almost sociopathic in its haughtiness. Does the party even have the ability for such things as empathy and sympathy, compassion or remorse? Good luck finding any evidence of them. Its response to the trauma it has inflicted on SA is to double down on the idea that it is some glorious and infallible for...
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