ANC leaders suffer from selective political amnesia: iLIVE

We must address the selective moral outrage of the ANC and the blatant hypocrisy that it practises on a regular basis. First, it was Nedbank that had to face the government's wrath, and now FNB has to contend with the government's ire.

It is evident that some ANC leaders are suffering from selective political amnesia.

FNB was the only financial institution that supported the ANC during the liberation struggle, and the bank's former managing director Chris Ball was hounded by the apartheid regime.

Today, the ANC government is hounding FNB chief executive Michael Jordaan. The macabre political dance displayed by the ANC is not part of the democratic dream for which FNB and others fought.

The ANC should search its conscience and consider if posterity will judge it right.

Twenty years ago, we attained freedom with an enlightened leadership across the board, be it in politics, business, academia, religion or sport.

Sadly, the power of the government has grown, and liberty has contracted.

The attack on business leaders who sustain the economy is a frightening political spectacle that harks back to the days of the nationalist oppression.

Today's "forceful actions" against FNB will not only be a painful assault on our freedom, they will exacerbate whatever economic troubles we face. Politics is a nasty game in which men act as if they are God.

South Africans were persuaded that our human rights were secure. To the profound disappointment of many, that belief is now a myth. Enter the new paradigm of 2013, where the government wants total control.

It intimidates any who hold opposing views. During the liberation struggle, the mantra was "remain vigilant and keep your eyes on the prize". That admonition is as valid today as 20 years ago.