Whichever way you cut it, imperatives stay the same

09 May 2014 - 02:22 By The Times Editorial
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Most analysts have by now probably sucked the ink off their voting thumbs and are ready to spin this week's general election results.

Try this: Jacob Zuma has been a disaster for his party. In the two elections in which he has stood for the presidency, the ANC lost about 7% of the national vote. Depending on which year you use as a base, that is anywhere between 1million and 1.7million voters who chose a new party at the expense of the one that brought them freedom.

Ouch.

But what about: More than 60% of voters approve of Zuma as president and of the direction the ANC has taken under his leadership.

Sounds better, doesn't it?

And this: Julius Malema is an organisational genius. In a few months he built the Economic Freedom Fighters into the country's third-biggest party.

Or: Malema failed to convert youthful exuberance into anything more than a fringe group. The EFF will be the new COPE or Independent Democrats - the ugly sister no one wants to kiss twice.

And the DA?

Either: Increases support by a third. Wow!

Or: Became even more entrenched as a regional party with little crossover appeal outside Western Cape, parts of Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane.

But the time for spin is over.

Our new national and provincial governments need to hit the ground running with the good plans we already have.

Dear President (presumably) Zuma, Please see the clear majority you got as endorsing the National Development Plan. See it as a mandate to stop intimidation on the platinum belt and get our people back to earning money. Let's deliver public services like never before.

The voters have given you a second term. See it as a second chance. Because we are all spun out.

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