And so, Zuma is set free... Let us be active in prayer!

Yesterday was a negative watershed in the history of our young democracy. Yesterday the ANC showed its power in South Africa with the withdrawal of the fraud and corruption charges against Mr Jacob Zuma. He has used 100 million rand of our taxpayers' money to make sure that he doesn't go to court... I am truly concerned - however, as my friend Pete so aptly puts it, I am a South African and I take responsibility for our faults. I shall be working and praying for the future of our nature - we are facing tough times!

Here's Pete's post, it expresses my concern, and my commitment, far better than I could write it.

South Africa experienced a miracle in 1994.

We moved from an oppressive racially based oligarchy to a democratically elected government. Our law was protected by an internationally acclaimed new constitution. And we boasted leaders of international stature – politicians such as Nelson Mandela, priests like Desmond Tutu; jurists such as Arthur Chaskalson and Albie Sachs; and many eminent writers, musicians and scientists.

We believed that we had something to offer the world. We believed that we had transcended narrow racial boundaries; moved beyond self-serving ideological disputes to build a “rainbow nation”; and were able to make visible the African concept of Ubuntu . I have travelled to various places in the world to speak of our national “miracle” experience….Northern Ireland; York, England; and various Methodist Seminaries in the United States of America.

Today I admit that I have been smugly deluded. I have allowed myself to be blinded by the newness of our land – and have not noticed that the same old things are still happening:
• The Apartheid politicians I despised had developed a system of self enrichment that was gleefully embraced by the new democratically elected representatives of the people. They learned how to inflate travel claims; and create jobs for their friends and family; and cobble together gifts and favours for themselves.
• The amoral Apartheid politicians set up systems with international arms traders that were taken over by the new government. And the same bribes/rewards/incentives were gratefully pocketed.
• The selfish Apartheid leadership manipulated the law to suit their personal agenda – a lesson well learned by this next generation of leaders.

And so today I witness Jacob Zuma, the next President of my country, weasel his way out of being charged for corruption and financial misappropriation of funds. He leads a political party that welcomed international solidarity when they were struggling for power – but now it refuses to stand in solidarity with Myanmar and Tibet. This is the party that enthusiastically embraced Desmond Tutu when he berated the sins of the Apartheid government, but now dismissively insults him when he points out the sins of the current government.

Today South Africa ceased to be something special amongst the nations of the world. We are just another Third World Country, adding to the litany of human rights failures.
BUT: this is my country. I am reminded (once again) that the struggle for liberation is never finished. I have been placed by God in this country to speak for truth. I refuse to give up the dream for a better land for all.

Thou shalt not be a victim.
Thou shalt not be a perpetrator.
Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.
- Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C

Comments

[Cori]

On the up side, I am so grateful that our judiciary places legal process above political meddling. There is a growing amount of evidence that the corruption scandal is far further reaching and that Zuma was just the scapegoat. If this is the case, then the right thing was done to drop the case against him and investigate the root of this whole thing.

I don't share your or Pete's pessimism but instead am glad that the judiciary is in place and is doing its job.