The past week saw the commemorations of COPE flying in thick and fast in the media space. But no one celebrated Thabo Mbeki's courage and loyalty to the ANC even when his ardent supporters continued to spit in the face of his beloved party. The popular suspicions then, suggested that Mbeki was a cadre caught between two worlds: his angry supporters and his legendary party. Was he, or was he not?
In his resignation speech on 21 September 2008, Mbeki said: "I have been a loyal member of the African National Congress for 52 years. I remain of a member of the ANC and therefore respect its decisions". On the face of it, it seemed like Mbeki wanted to dispel any notion among his supporters that he was a coward. They were not to write him off as a weakling who gave in without a fight to Jacob Zuma and his leftist allies.
But Mbeki's pronouncement of loyalty to the ANC might have been deeper than the interpretation COPE's founders offered. It was more than an adherence to principle, but a desire to pave the way forward after bitter infighting and factionalism. He placed the objectives of the ANC's struggle above all personal squabbles and the desire for power.
Thabo Mbeki was a misunderstood man, and the guilty parties were to a large extent those who claimed to be defending his legacy. To complicate matters further, Mbeki sometimes misunderstood himself and what he represented.
For example, Mbeki was right when he blatantly stated that South Africa has two economies, one black and one white. His critics accused him - among other things - of defeating his predecessor's call for reconciliation, as if the process of reconciling can only thrive when the society is blind to reality.
However, it was his supporters who mostly misunderstood most of his insightful analysis to mean that Mbeki must be some kind of an irredeemable messiah: one who cannot be corrected. That Mbeki himself decided to contest for leadership in Polokwane on the grounds of such misguided support would be an indictment on his legacy.
Is it that Mbeki was obsessed with power, or was it his supporters who saw his power as an opportunity to sustain their political livelihood? To a certain extent it could be both, but the latter rings far more truthful. Mbeki's supporters saw in him an opportunity to rule, thus COPE emerged with the slogan: "Ready to Govern".
Ironically, this particularly over inflated pronouncement resonated with the statement of the DA's founding fathers when they announced that their party will "contest for power". Maybe COPE should have learnt from DA that parties who exhibit a lust for power attain nothing more than the state of a ‘cry-crowd' in the opposition. It is only parties which represent the voice of the people who thrive and lead.
Anyway, I digress, but having said that, I don't think Mbeki should be held liable for what his friends say. I know Fikile Mbalula might disagree, since he had previously argued that Mbeki has a duty to denounce those who insult the ANC in his name. Yes, it is a reasonable expectation, but maybe Mbeki had long done that. He said: "I have been a loyal member of the African National Congress for 52 years. I remain of a member of the ANC and therefore respect its decisions".
The statement itself poses a painful question to the duo of Patrick Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa, and one which history expects them to answer as soon as today: ‘Were they ever loyal members of the African National Congress?'
It was widely reported that the founders of COPE consulted thoroughly with Mbeki before announcing the decisions to cancel (not resign, only people in leadership position can resign, ordinary members of the ANC don't resign) their membership of the ANC. It is not clear what the contents of the engagements might have been, but one could not be far off if he imagined that Mbeki would have said to them: "I have been a loyal member of the African National Congress for 52 years. I remain of a member of the ANC and therefore respect its decisions".
Such a response would be true because people volunteer - as individuals - to join the ANC, and retain the right to quit - voluntarily - if and when they wish to do so. It would be un-ANC for Mbeki to try and stop those who wish to exercise their democratic right to quit. Such is Mbeki's loyalty that he once again placed the principles of the ANC at the forefront.
Why then would the esteemed ladies and gentlemen in the media ask questions around which party Mbeki might have voted for during the previous general elections? This query is rather mischievous. It would not be unfair to suggest that a loyal member of a particular party would in all probabilities vote for that party.
It must be emphasised that contrary to popular assertion, the concept of loyalty does not simply derive its meaning from a ‘sheepish' mentality, but from a firm and critical belief in the ability and potential of a particular subject. I declare on record, and until proven otherwise, that Thabo Mbeki voted for the ANC during the 2009 general elections!
From this particular perspective it would be foolish - a state of confusion, an oxymoron -for COPE to continue on their course to champion a leader whose beloved party they despise. Much like people who celebrate Nelson Mandela but - through wishful thinking - attempt to disassociate the old man from a party he served with loyalty for decades.
It is time that Lekota and Shilowa tell the nation if they were ever loyal members of the ANC like Thabo Mbeki. If they were, then they must come home, where their leaders, friends, brothers and sisters will be awaiting them with open arms.
I'm firmly convinced that the time has arrived for the ANC to reclaim Mbeki's legacy. Therefore, Julius Malema must be commended for heaping praises on his former president when he said: "Thabo Mbeki is a hero of the ANC..."
Setumo Stone is a writer, social commentator and youth activist
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