Justice Malala:A country without shame
AT the beginning of last month, The Guardian newspaper in London interviewed Nigerian satirist and author Elnathan John about his new novel, Born on A Tuesday.
One of the questions the newspaper asked him was: “You have a reputation as a political satirist. Has your writing ever landed you in hot water?”
He replied: “The sexy answer would be to say, ‘Yes, it is dangerous’. The real answer is, ‘No’.”
The tragedy is that people are so numb. Satire depends upon people’s ability to feel or respond to shame.
We live in a post-shame world. There is no political shame.
The president can say whatever comes into his head and walk away.
I read the interview on the day that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were once again bundled out of parliament for demanding that President Jacob Zuma explain himself for his failure to uphold and protect the constitution.
Many South Africans had either switched off their television sets when the incident played out in parliament or had just simply given up that anything would come of the spectacle.
Many said they found the EFF’s antics annoying. But are they annoying? Think about the man who nonchalantly took to the podium that day and on Thursday.
Zuma had the audacity to lecture the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, about bringing order to the house.
He lectured us and said that on his travels around the world he is embarrassed by questions about the conduct of MPs.
Which raises the crucial question: throughout the years of Zuma’s scandals, who calls him to order for bringing the executive, the legislature and South Africa into disrepute?
Does Zuma understand what it is like to be a South African abroad?
To have people start giggling the minute you start speaking because they think you and your people are crazy to tolerate the kind of antics that Zuma indulges in.
I have written about this before and I will do so again. There is no sense of shame in our politics. There is no shame in one’s callow deeds, no shame in being exposed for these deeds.
In fact, the craven are applauded and rewarded while the honest and upstanding are derided and targeted.
Ask public protector Thuli Madonsela what happened to her when she stood for principle.
She was called names and investigated for allegedly being a CIA spy.
Where are her accusers today? Everywhere else in the world they would be hanging their heads in shame.
Here in sunny South Africa they sit in the cabinet, enjoying fat salaries, while there is not even an iota of condemnation for what they did and how horribly they did it. They are not ashamed. The truth about our country is that the line between right and wrong is becoming increasingly blurred.
Zuma and his family have essentially marshalled state resources for use and abuse by the Gupta family and they get away with it. They are not ashamed. Then look at the ANC MPs who regularly stand up in parliament to defend the indefensible Zuma. That a man like Jackson Mthembu, or Buti Manamela, or the many others who line up in parliament to speak big English, can stand in front of the nation and defend Zuma’s theft and his antics is a disgrace. How do they walk around in their communities after defending such nonsense? What impact does this have on society? The people of Vuwani, for example, know who is burning their schools.
Many of those arsonists were drinking in shebeens this past weekend.
They had no shame in doing so. They had no shame in flaunting their evil deeds. They can do so. After all Number One, who builds himself a R246-million palace in his village, has shown neither shame nor remorse for rubbing the electorate’s face in the sight of his vulgar castle.
Why should it be different for the arsonists of Vuwani?
This is what we have become: a country without shame, a people with very low standards.
In such a country, Zuma can, and does, get away with his outrageous and vulgar acts. All we can do is pity our own satirists. Their valiant shaming of our politicians achieves little.
The more shameful our politicians’ acts, the faster seems their rise.
We have become worse than the world Elnathan John spoke about.
Say what you will about the EFF, at least what the party demanded in parliament last week was an attempt to push back against this post-shame world. It reminds all of us that we do not have to take the disrespect we get from Zuma and his cronies.
The EFF and others must continue to badger Zuma until he realises that not all of us are without shame.
He must account. He will account.
