From Democracy to Dicatatorship (by Steve McCurrach)

Steve McCurrach in Durban read my Blog then emailed the following to me, which he has given permission to post here:

----------

Hiya Keith,

I didn't want to just upload the following onto your Blog, for fear of it not being appropriate or to your liking. However, do take a read of my recent letter to our premier KZN Sunday newspaper, in which I gave vent re the changing of street names.

Even here in "The Last Outpost", we definitely know the meaning of the word Gatvol - check this:

--------------

Dear Mr.Editor,

From Democracy to Dictatorship

Your front page item from last weekend's Sunday Tribune "Durban's new street names vandalised" quotes our 2nd citizen (deputy mayor) of Durban Mr.Logie Naidoo, as saying "The name changes should be respected. If people can't accept it, tough luck for them." Mr.Naidoo, your statement undeniably confirms your being included in the seemingly universal and inexorable fall, from elected democrat to dictator, as is so prevalent in Africa.

Please don't jump to the conclusion, that I am just another of the thousand of folks, airing my distaste here directly at your ANC led debacle of street name changes. Rather I am going beyond that, to your dictatorial reaction and your partisan approach to the problem. Like a typical African politician/councillor; power and position have putrefied your dignity as an elected servant of Durban's people.

Faced with a major groundswell of discontent, whether it be amongst an electorate, a workforce, or whatever grouping of people, any astute politician/leader/corporate head, would immediately say "Oops, best I get amongst my people and do some diplomatic damage control." But not our Durban ANC Council, their attitude is "tough luck for them" - absolutely typical, i.e. you ANC's just do exactly as you please, in absolute defiance of overwhelming discontent, and all purely to satisfy your dictatorial politicking. Amazingly, these are the same politicians/councillors who will grandstand, calling for Ubuntu and a Rainbow Nation. Mr.Naidoo, if with an attitude like yours, you think that you will get one shred of Ubuntu and national integration, then you are so mistaken, that you are not fit for public office.

What right do you have to assume, and to then make the statement, that the road sign vandals are "right wingers"? This is just another clear sign of your partisan attitude viz. any behaviour in defiance of ANC dictates, is sold off as being right wing motivated. Wake up and smell the roses Mr.Naidoo, the abovementioned groundswell of discontented people are not right wingers and they certainly are not going to take kindly to be branded as such - no more than they will accept that its just "tough luck."

Whilst I don't condone criminality, I'll confess to 'secretly' being proud of the citizens of Durban who said "Enough!" by defacing your name changes. More declarations of discontent and action, like the defacing of road signs is what you need to see, from where you sit in your ivory tower, making your arbitrary and sweeping decisions.

Two questions Mr.Naidoo;
• (a) Is there even one ANC councillor in Durban who lives in e.g. Willowvale or Manning Roads? - road names which are clearly not associated with 'the struggle'/apartheid and being roads in which every resident, without exception, will prefer retention of the existing name.
  
• (b) Is this what you call a democracy???
  

Citizens of Durban, I urge you to look through the ANC's political grandstanding, the sweet talk, the showing off with flash motorcades and rather look at this attitude of our councillors. It is time we matured as an electorate, identified such attitudes and voted with our feet, by walking away to any other political parties. The longer we leave this, the more arrogant this ANC monster will become.

In conclusion, I go back to my words of "a debacle of street name changes" and this surely is Durban's most undiplomatic politicking debacle since apartheid and yet Mr.Naidoo says "the name changes should be respected." They must be crazy, I have never in my life encountered anything so disrespectful, as Mr.Naidoo's attitude and these forced name changes.