GARETH VAN ONSELEN: In the political killing fields
Political murders have long been a dreadful, if largely ignored, problem in SA. There is the chance that they may become more frequent, and feature higher up the food chain, as uncertainty increases
Wisdom has it that the fish rots from the head. In SA, that would seem true enough. But whatever the political decay at our democratic core, it is on the periphery of our democracy that the final manifestation of the disease afflicting us is to be found. It is death. SA is now a country where we assassinate those we oppose. As we fall from Olympus, the question we ask is: how far do we still have to descend? That has now been answered. It ends with murder, and we hit the bottom some time ago. Not so much an early-warning sign as a final diagnosis. On October 31 last year, KwaZulu Natal premier Willies Mchunu announced the establishment of the Moerane commission. Its terms of reference say it is to report on "the underlying causes giving rise to the murder of politicians in KwaZulu Natal". Headed by advocate Marumo Moerane SC, it has a budget of between R10m and R15m and is required to deliver its final report, "no later than 12 months after the date of the proclamation".At the time ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.