Inauguration Day

I remember Inauguration Day 1994 when Nelson Mandela was made my country's first black and first democratically elected president. I was driving from Johannesburg to northern kwaZulu Natal on my own in my brother in law's car which I had had to borrow because both of ours had been stolen from the rural hospital where I worked on the same night. I listened on the radio. As the national anthem started playing, I started crying. Tears of sadness for the hundreds and thousands of South Africans who had died needlessly, amongst them some of my friends - why could not this day have taken place 30 or 40 years earlier, when many other African countries were realising their independence from European colonial powers? Tears of frustration for all the time and money wasted on trying to perpetuate a system which was not only morally wrong but profoundly impracticable. Tears of joy that at last the sun appeared to be rising, at last we would be able to build our nation the right way and be proud of our achievements in the global community. That at last I did not have to feel embarrassed about being a white South African.

Today Jacob Zuma is being inaugurated at President. I am proud that my country is still a democracy. I would argue that our elections were as free and fair as any in the world and probably more so than in many so called "Western democracies". I am proud of some of the goals which have been achieved since 1994 - progress made in housing, education and primary health care, for example. There is also much of which I am not proud.  The arrogance of our elected leaders, when it is blatantly obvious they do not know (or at best are unsure of) what they are doing, but refuse to accept advice from those who could help them. Mbeki and Tshabalala-Msimang's stance of HIV-AIDS was a good example. The tacit acceptance of corruption (read "cheating and dishonesty") as an acceptable practice, where the only real transgression is getting caught. (As I write the UK is in uproar over the dishonesty of their own MPs). Most of all, the failure of our new government (since 1994) to protect, both physically and otherwise, those whom they govern, but particularly the vulnerable. That is not to say that the previous government succeeded on any of these scores - but we expected more from their successors.

So today I shall have mixed feelings as Mr. Zuma becomes President Zuma. I respect him because his party was elected to govern by 2 out of 3 of my compatriots, knowing full well that Jacob Zuma was that party's presidential candidate. I respect him because I believe he gave up much and risked his life to fight apartheid in the days when I was a priveleged white kid at an exclusive white school, growing up in Johannesburg. I actually like him when he smiles and laughs and dances and sings (could wish for a new song to replace "Leth' umshini wam", but you have to admit he has a good voice). It is good to have a president who can "walk with kings nor lose the common touch". I wonder, however, whether he can live up to the rest of Kipling's list of desirable attributes - keep his head, trust himself, wait and not be tired, not deal in lies, not give way to hating, not look too good, not talk too wise, dream, think, meet triumph and disaster with equanimity, risk, lose and start again, hold on when there is nothing in him except willpower, keep his virtue, count with all men.... 

He is said to be a Christian pastor, so perhaps I should rather refer to the ideals set out in 1 Cor 13. I want to see whether he shows love, I shall be looking to see whether he is patient, kind, free of envy, humble, polite and truthful or whether he is self-seeking, easily angered, vengeful, and delights in evil. I will be looking to see whether he is protective, trustful, hopeful and persevering. Some of this language is included in the Presidential Oath of Office - I hope he has it framed and hung on the wall of this office. 

It remains to be seen what measure of person Zuma is. Without love, he "is and gains nothing, is a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal". What a fitting description for most politicians! But maybe, just maybe, he will surprise the sceptics and his enemies and show us some of the "ubuntu" love which presumably was his original motivation for joining the struggle all those years ago. I wish him well and am grateful I am not in his shoes.