With an outpouring of concern over former president Mandela's health earlier this month, it was easy to see how much South Africans love and respect him. So much so, that he could, and even should, be South Africa's very first saint.
But religion should have no place in the run-up to an election, local or national. With President Zuma's comments to a crowd of prospective voters this weekend, he has managed to incite not only leaders of various Christian churches and of other political parties, but even the most staunch of atheists. After all, if we had the Ten Commandments of Common Sense to follow, maybe we would all go to some logical heaven where presidents do not need to promise us entry into the afterlife for a cross on a ballot.
Talk about over-promising, though. Whatever happened to free housing, better taxes, creating more jobs? Why use your platform to punt paradise? Maybe if President Zuma and the rest of those in power spent more time fixing the country and less time insulting the electorate's intelligence, we could make South Africa a more heavenly place now.
I can't believe that the ANC now claims that the dangerous comments were only meant metaphorically. Spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said that if the word 'heaven' were inappropriate such names or phrases as 'Sweets from heaven' or a 'marriage made in heaven' would not exist. That's true. That's fine. But part of what President Zuma allegedly said was:
'When you get up there, there are different cards used but when you have an ANC card, you will be let through to go to heaven.'
There is no alternate or 'figurative' meaning to that statement. Forget your Dischem card, your Makro card, even your Blockbusters video card, only the ANC card can guarantee an eternal lifetime in heaven.
So as long as President Zuma is wielding his fork of power, and I do mean 'fork' in the exact figurative sense that he did, South Africa will be putting up with someone whose promises belong back in medieval times. Soon we may be burning witches at the stake again.
But as long as we only light the fires in a figurative sense, I guess they'll be okay.
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