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and here is Beryl with Ginger Rogers
From
Evita Bezuidenhout, the Leader of EVITA'S PEOPLE'S PARTY:
16 December has always been a sacred day for us Afrikaners. We celebrated
the Battle of Blood River and the Holy Covenant the Voortrekkers made with
God. On it we officially celebrated what eventually became legalized racism.
Now 16 December is a sacred day for all South Africans. It celebrates
reconciliation between our people, in spite of the divisions of the past and
confusions about the future. It is our democratic acknowledgement that the
freedoms protected by the Constitution are not enough to ensure that those
rights will be automatically protected. We have to be reminded that we are
the keepers of the flame of freedom. If we carelessly open too many doors,
winds from the bowels of politicians can blow in and snuff out the little
flame of liberty.
So here we are at another crossroads: 16 December 2008. The ANC is having a
mass rally at one side of
cluster of comrades-in-congress, launch themselves at the other end. Most of
the other political parties have an acute interest in what will emerge. One
thing is for sure: we will not go back into the de facto one-party state
after the 2009 election. Since the end of the monolith of Broederbond rule, our
new democracy has been sliding down the slippery slope, stuck with a ruling
party and its unchallenged majority. The ANC sat contentedly, a fat cat eyeing
the few scraggly mice of opposition scuttling round its paws and crossing the
floor.
No more. The future of
reality-TV. Will the Idols in competition find a winner? Or will the Bold expel
the Beautiful? Will Desperate Comrades still try and highjack The West Wing? Or
will the end result be a 50/50? Evita's People's Party sits on the sidelines
and watches every move, the Jack Russell at the gates of our constitutional
rights. I have never pretended to want people to vote for me or my party.
That
commitment is too sacred, too important to waste on a certainty. The EPP
doesn't need votes. It encourages voting. And therefore the next few days of
reconciliation are essential for all South Africans, especially those who have
no interest in the political game of snakes, dogs, pigs and cockroaches.
Voters? Don't look away. Listen to everything. Discuss the nonsense spouted by
inarticulate politicians. Be inspired by the passion that hopefully will emerge
from a local Obama. But always know that your vote is the key to the door to
your future. So allow me to suggest a few practical shortcuts to success.
The ANC carried the moral high ground with dignity and compassion. I just need
to look at pictures of Mandela, Tambo, Sisulu and Luthuli to recall how our
white fear of them evaporated in the sunshine of their embrace. I look at the
new leaders of that party. Siestog. When a major political party cannot take
part in a by-election because it forgot to register its candidates, it
becomes the fodder for comedians and cartoonists and should be laughed into
a footnote of history. When that silly party is also the government of the day,
in charge of delivery, fighting poverty, healing, building, nurturing,
educating and planning, the grass might be greener on the other side of town.
Shikota? Skatties, I don't know if you have a name yet, but then No Name Brands
have done well in the supermarkets because they taste good and aren't too
expensive. A good lesson. Be clear about what you offer. Make it straight
and simple. Leave the ideological babblement to the Yengenis, the Mantos and
the Malemas. Decide on a strong leader and then become parents to the party
faithful, to be fed, housed, taught and disciplined.
One humble suggestion to all of you who left the ANC. An apology is not a bad
idea. Every citizen is wondering what you were doing for those 7 years being
Minister, Premier and Spokesperson, while Mbekivellian policies caused 1000
deaths a day and millions of casualties north of our border.
'We are sorry. We apologise to the people. We could have spoken out, but we
didn't. We should have said something, but we wouldn't. We knew what was
happening and we looked away.' I promise you: millions will support you and
you might even become the next government. Otherwise you will have to cope
with just being another cluster in the collective leadership of confused
politics. I'm sorry Barack Obama won his election. If not, we could have
asked him to come back.
Is there anyone out there in the political funfair who could inspire us also to
say: yebo, we can?
www.epp.org.za