Tony Leon's dishonesty

I was disappointed, but not surprised to read Tony Leon's comments on the unfortunate issue of Comrade Pallo Jordan's falsification of his academic qualifications (The Times, 12 August 2014). While Leon rightly points out the dishonest nature of this claim to a degree never actually completed (as if nobody else had!) his analysis is shallow and even dishonest. He argues that South Africa is 'a land of no consequence", that Comrade Pallo has been silent on the matter and that this incident is part of a deeper malaise our country suffers from. He may be right in the last point, but not in the way he suggests. He is definitely wrong on the first 2 counts.

Since 1994, our country has seen  Presidents, Deputy Presidents, Ministers, political leaders and many others of presumed high standing appear in court, whether for their alleged actions or in response to civl claims. In certain instances, the accused have been found guilty and have been jailed, fined or received other sentences. For Leon to argue that there is 'no consequence' for wrongful actions in our country is simply a lie. He may well make the claim that more severe consequences should follow for actions he deems to be serious, but that is a matter for Parliament to legislate on and the courts to rule on.

That is part of the essential characteristics of a constitutional democracy-the separation of powers and the independence of each arm of the state from the other. Seemingly Leon does not include himself in this arrangement and presumes that his experience, not inconsiderable I concede, qualifies him to make such pronouncements. Unfortunately there is no academic qualification for such opinions. Leon is entitled to them, but they opinions and nothing more.

Leon's claim the Comrade Pallo has been silent is also not true. He has admitted his error, apologised and resigned as an MP. In that regard, there have clearly been consequences for Comrade Pallo. Leon should at least have the generosity to admit that Comrade Pallo has acted swiftly to take responsibility for his error. But generosity is not a characteristic of Leon and his ilk. The neo-conservatives of the DA are all very quick to proclaim that they are without any blemish or fault, while all of the ANC is tainted. This is perhaps the most damning trait of these Leonites.

The malaise we suffer from as a country is not as Leon puts it. It is one of a selective loss of memory and a failure to keep things in proper perspective. Leon and others like him, served in the the SADF and were part of the rogue apartheid state's strategic mission of limiting the rights of Black South Africans (including those classified as Coloured and Indian). Many of them - I don't accuse Leon himself of this - committed atrocities, murdered defenceless citizens, tortured, poisoned and maimed activists.

Most of these faced no consequences for their actions. Similarly, all the ill-gotten gains of colonialism and apartheid - land, mineral wealth, capital, etc. - have never been returned to the descendants of the rightful owners or even the state. With regard to academic qualifications, countless professors and doctors were awarded degrees that were patently based on absolute nonsense - racism, eugenics, theories about homosexuality, falsified historical claims, etc., etc. Once again, no consequence ever flowed from these fraudulent actions. These are but a few examples of what the old South Africa was about and what it bequeathed our democracy.

 Nobody in the ANC condones Comrade Pallo's behaviour or actions. But we do keep things in perspective. His track record as an activist, an historian, a political leader, an MP, a Minister and as a comrade and friend to many, locates this lack of judgement in a life of great personal sacrifice and of doing good. I doubt the same can be said for many people who lived comfortably in and served the apartheid regime.

 those like Leon, who gleefully portray this painful episode as being indicative of Comrade Pallo's life and contribution, of the ANC or of our now democratic country in general, are simply being dishonest and are guilty of trying to make a political mountain out of a personal molehill.

Dr. Phillip Dexter is a member of the ANC and writes in his personal capacity.

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