Former trade unionist Jay Naidoo's open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa highlights the lack of leadership in South Africa amid rising migrant tensions and other crises. As the country faces unprecedented challenges, is it time for a change?
I almost quit reading Jay Naidoo’s open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa concerning the migrant crisis, but I waded through till the end – despite its boring and predictable nature – and got rewarded.
Such long letters and speeches and empty promises are part of the crisis South Africa has been sinking into since the dawn of democracy. Why speak or write so long when the real message is contained – or hidden – in a couple of paragraphs right at the end?
After going on and on about unfulfilled dreams and broken covenants, Naidoo gets to the crux of the missive to his old comrade:
“In a constitutional democracy, leadership is not about holding on to power. It is about serving the people. If you cannot restore that trust and provide the leadership this moment demands, then do the honourable thing: return your mandate to the people and allow them, through democratic elections, to decide who should lead South Africa forward. That is not defeat. That is democracy.
