I won't bore you with the memories of the elation I felt when democracy arrived 30 years ago, when I was an 11-year-old girl. Don't be mistaken for being a supporter of President Cyril Ramaphosa's misfortune. Tintswalo analogy In his recent State of the Union address, he said:
Do you know the meaning of the name Tintswalo? Many curious South Africans who don't speak Sitsonga must have rushed to Google it, but for those who don't, it means grace and mercy, the antithesis of at least the last decade of ANC rule. .
“The story of the first 30 years of our democracy is best told through the life of a child named Tintswalo, born at the dawn of freedom in 1994. “I grew up in a society where I grew up in a society where I lived in peace, and an affirmation of the inherent dignity of all people,” Ramaphosa waxed lyrical.
This analogy would be funny if it weren't so insulting to the millions of South Africans who are cruelly brought closer to the promise of the Constitution, yet still barely able to enjoy the protections and provisions of the Constitution. Dew.
What may have started out as a seemingly clever metaphor and an electoral ace card for the ANC sadly ended up as a tone-deaf, insensitive and clearly manipulative political ploy. The self-congratulatory tone was off-putting considering the reality faced by people born in 1994.
We cannot praise Tintswalo for being able, should and only to placate the ANC's ego.
I am not inclined to be cynical, but it is worth mentioning that, unfortunately, it is not difficult to argue that we have improved the lives of South Africans from the low base of apartheid. It is no surprise that the transition to democracy achieved this.
I think the ruling party can legitimately claim to have been on an upward trajectory in its first 15 years in power. But for the past 15 years, that has never been the case. Therefore, an accurate reflection of Ramaphosa's Tintswalo would show that she was, in fact, tragically stunted as a teenager at the age of 15, and her promising future after 1994 was significantly narrowed. .
We cannot praise Tintswalo for being able, should and only to placate the ANC's ego.
Read more at Daily Maverick: Tintswallo and balloons at the center of a strange, curious and contradictory debate
What we need to do is strengthen our democracy by electing political leaders with unquestionable moral standing, with an unequivocal commitment to the founding principles of the Damascus moment of 1994. It is to ensure that we do better like the Tintswalo family born in the era.
We've done it before and we believe we can do it again. That's why the quality of the political party we choose is so important in this year's elections.
Putting aside perhaps unkind criticisms of this speech, what we can glean from Ramaphosa's words is an unintended insight that should give us pause: Who does a dysfunctional state hurt the most? , the very tintswalo he brought to this country's collective imagination. DM
This story was first published in Weekly Magazine Daily Maverick 168 The newspaper is available nationwide for R29.
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