Some friends and I have started a Sunday night Election Debate tradition. We all meet up to watch the SABC 2 Election Debates and then fight with each other about it afterwards. It is awesome.
We are planning a special extra session for the Obama inauguration tomorrow :)
The Election Debate this Sunday was on crime. It wasn't too exciting, to be honest. But there was one priceless moment:
The ANC was being represented by Deputy Justice Minister Johnny de Lange. There was a lot of talk about corruption in the police force, and in local government. So, exasperated, Deputy Minister de Lange burst out with "If anyone is aware of any corruption, I invite them to contact me personally about it!!" (Or something along those lines). It was pretty hysterical, the whole audience responded with a spontaneous outcry to the effect of "are you kidding??!" And the four of us watching on TV practically fell off our couches with laughter.
Lets assume for a moment that he was serious. I looked up his email address...
Advocate Johnny de Lange: jdelange AT justice DOT gov DOT za
So guys, if your local Home Affairs officials want some cash before they will sort out your work permit, or a cop offers to overlook your speeding if... or you've experienced any corruption from police or whatever... drop him a line :)
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5 comments:
You are right Laura, the last show was a bit of a bore compared to the last. Isn`t it maybe because COPE, the Barack Obama of the South Africa parties, was not represented!
Laura, I may be speaking out of turn here but methinks calling cope the Barack Obama of [the] South Africa is putting too fine a point on it.
COPE = Barack Obama? Mopani region (where is that, by the way?), I'm intrigued to know your reasoning behind this.
I didn't write that comment about Obama, the author of the "COPE: Mopani Region" blog did (his name is Frank, I think, and Mopani is in Limpopo, I think...)
So Frank, would you mind responding to MoAfrika and VampyreJ?
Maybe likening COPE to Obama is taking things too far... but in support of Frank's comment:
It seems to me that the average on the ground COPE member (as opposed to the former MP's defected from the ANC read about it in the paper sorts) has joined COPE because they are exciting about being part of this new thing, they want to work towards something new, building something.
Which was really the spirit of the Obama campaign - "Yes we can" and "Hope!" and "Change!"
Or "Phambile!" for us here in SA :)
Oh and something interesting - people hitch-hike a lot between East London and King and surrounds (my home area). And a friend tells me that every second young hitch-hiker you pick up wants to speak to you about COPE :)
Mobilising young people,
Excitement,
The desire for change,
The belief that change can happen, and that "I can be a part of it."
All very Obama-ish
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