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Zweli Mkhize. Picture: SANDILE NDLOVU
Zweli Mkhize. Picture: SANDILE NDLOVU

How long will voters keep blessing the ANC with power while the party spits in their faces? Covid-19 is a case in point.

In modern democracies leaders, are voted out of power for lesser crimes than the ANC has committed. Just this past weekend Matt Hancock resigned from his position as British health secretary for breaking Covid-19 protocols, and in less than six hours Sajid Javid had been appointed as the new minister.

In SA, health minister Zweli Mkhize is still the health boss, despite the R150m Digital Vibes scandal. Like any ANC cadre he won’t resign or be fired. Cadres are not trained to have consciences or take responsibility.

Why can’t the president appoint Aaron Motsoaledi as the new minister instead of an untried acting minister during a pandemic? Motsoaledi has the experience to deal with a medical crisis as he did with ebola, haemorrhagic fever, meningitis and listeriosis.

The second reason voters should be angry is the ongoing Covid-19 third wave. This was unnecessary. Why do we keep repeating the same mistakes? When Italy was the world’s epicentre in the first wave we allowed travellers to and from Italy without quarantining them. We only woke up to our mistake when we had 63 cases.

The Delta variant was behind India’s devastating second wave.  As usual we didn’t impose travel restrictions or quarantine visitors from India. Government didn't want to upset its Brics partner. Today we are in the midst of a third wave because of careless political leadership. But South Africans cannot abuse lockdown rules to hide from your mistakes as those in the Union Buildings are doing.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been found wanting and he thinks lockdown level 4 will correct everything. It is too late. The Delta variant and its evil twin, the Delta variant plus, are already here. You cannot race the virus and win. We, the citizens, will pay the price, but nothing will happen to Ramaphosa or Mkhize. We are comrades. 

Dr Lucas Ntyintyane,Via e-mail

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