South Africa - Johannesburg - 03 January 2023 - ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula briefs members of the media at the party's headquarters Luthuli House, on the state of readiness for the continuation for the 55th National Conference and the 111th Anniversary celebrations all expected to take place in Mangaung, Free State Province. Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency(ANA)
Colonel Tom Parker, the charismatic manager of Elvis Presley, boasted a rank that existed only in his imagination.
His name was also an unofficial adoption following his arrival in the US as an illegal immigrant.
Actor Tom Hanks recently portrayed Parker in a film of that name, and I greatly look forward to watching it. Big, boastful and bombastic. Parker was all of these things and, for no particular reason while mulling over these words, the name Fikile Mbalula sprang to mind, for it seems to me the ANC secretary general is all these things, and more.
I had the misfortune the other day to hear, on the radio, a snippet of a speech by Mbalula. He was shouting at his audience, many of whom must have suffered permanent hearing damage. I imagined Colonel Parker, in his Western drawl, muttering the phrase that must surely have been adopted by Mbalula, “there ain’t no substitute for decibels”.
But it is the SG’s reaction to the resignation of ANC Veteran’s League deputy president Mavuso Msimang which causes me real concern. Mavuso’s resignation letter, addressed to Mbalula, was a deeply moving document, written by a loyal servant of the party – and the people – for more than 60 years. His record bears proud testament to the man’s absolute integrity.
Mbalula has said that “de-campaigning has serious implications for the public standing of the organisation”, that the party has “an open-door policy and internal communications systems” and that “the leadership of the ANC … has always availed itself for counsel and direction by veterans and stalwarts”.
Quite so, Mr Mbalula, as we have all noticed from the endless stream of convicted fraudsters and thieves who have exchanged their expensive business suits for prison-issue orange overalls.
I listened to a beautiful song performed by Ronan Keating the other day, and reckon that Mbalula could do worse than adopt the chorus line, which is “You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All”.
* John Gardener, Howick.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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