LETTER: ANC is not listening to what Max Coleman wanted

Colin Coleman’s recollection of his late father’s extraordinary role in building a democratic SA made for heartbreaking reading (“What Max would have wanted: a new economic deal”, February 22). Sadly, the ANC is not listening, nor does it even care.

The story of Max Coleman’s personal sacrifices and extraordinary efforts is just one of many wonderful examples of individual South Africans striving to make our country a fairer, better and more democratic country. His son’s article sets out yet another devastating example of the failure of the ANC to bring about the freedoms and better life for all.

Max, who sacrificed so much for that noble cause, would be bitterly outraged at how he, his family and so many others have been betrayed. The Reconstruction & Development Programme (RDP) and then the Growth, Employment & Redistribution (Gear) plan, both launched in spectacular fashion in a swathe of dressed-up promises of decisive action and qualitative outcomes, have crashed and burnt on the ANC’s ideological altar (Thabo Mbeki), indifference and state corruption (Jacob Zuma) and incompetence and cowardice (Cyril Ramaphosa).

Max’s legacy is one to be justifiably proud of. But to think for one moment that Ramaphosa, or any one of his current crop of cabinet cowboys, will resurrect and deliver on the principles that he and Nelson Mandela stood and lived for — or even want to — is to truly dare to fail. I doubt they’ll even deign to have the article read to them in the back of their fancy cars. It is a tragedy beyond measure.

Mark Lowe, Durban

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