LETTER: President must abandon his naive view of the world

The underlying culture that led to HIV/Aids denialism in the 2000s is not something unique to Thabo Mbeki or his administration. This same culture appears alive and well still, seemingly informing government’s puzzling and immoral response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It starts with a distrust of the West and its institutions. This lays fertile ground for the uncritical adoption of “alternative” facts, often presented conversationally in a way that speaks to the ANC’s basic theory of knowledge.

Cadres often base their positions on verbal exchanges that point them to limited writings. Experience and conversation are the bedrocks of thought in this system, leaving leaders vulnerable to charismatic charlatans.

In the case of Mbeki, the Aids denialists had his ear. It seems President Cyril Ramaphosa is easily swayed by the sweet talk of a butcher and potential war criminal who bombs pregnant women and threatens nuclear apocalypse.

To illustrate the above one need only look at how the presidency tweeted about a recent call with Putin, indicating the call’s purpose was to “gain an understanding” of an issue we already voted on at the UN, and can see unfold in vivid high definition on our televisions.

But this isn’t dangerous on its own. The problem really gets out of hand when both Mbeki and Ramaphosa want to he heroes, which is ultimately what turns their folly dangerous. Mbeki was never going to save the masses from a secret big-pharma conspiracy, and Ramaphosa isn’t going to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.

We can only hope someone sensible makes the president face facts and abandon his naive view of the world so that we can condemn Putin’s unprovoked invasion, help facilitate humanitarian aid, and accommodate refugees within reasonable limits.

Justin de Swardt
Pretoria

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