ANC learnt from Zimbabwe shambles

What we learn from the ANC's simultaneous sacking of Julius Malema and passing the Secrecy Bill is that the ANC has learnt its lesson from the failure of Zimbabwe.

The ANC evidently plans a more gentle approach to wealth extraction for the elite few in South Africa.

In Zimbabwe, ZANU-PF managed to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs by using excessively rapacious means of wealth extraction. 

There, land grabs without compensation have destroyed a once thriving economy that initially satisfied the desires of the elite few without too much difficulty.

However, once the masses (read, the "veterans" - remember Hitler Hunzvi?) also demanded their fair share of the loot, land grabs commenced, the goose collapsed and died, rampant inflation followed, and the elite few had to settle for a lot less in the way of wealth extraction.

Having observed this mess, the ANC has evidently decided that excessive extraction would be a mistake.  In their view, in any sane person's view, nationalisation and land grabs without compensation, as urged by Malema, will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.   Therefore, Malema and his views have been silenced.

At the very same time, however, the public and the media have also been silenced because they will report that the one golden egg the goose lays per day has been purloined by the elite few.

Without the media to raise the alarm, the ANC elite few hopes to carry out a more sustainable programme, secretly stealing only the one golden egg per day that rightfully belongs to the hungry masses.

Moderate wealth extraction by theft, done is secret and limited to benefit only the elite few, is their best hope.