Will there ever be a revolution after all?

This past weekend I made a rather dubious decision to attend a political party rally. Dubious because I have no trust in politicians and generally choose to stay clear of them. In any case I was lured with promises that this particular one would be a “vibe” and like anyone else I too like a vibe. In any case I left the day before and as social media culture requires I shared my hotel location and pictures of me enjoying the finer things that Mantšonyane had to offer.

This led to comments and inboxes asking me who of the party’s who’s who I had travelled with. It never occurred to anyone who saw me there to assume that I too could be a delegate in my own right. Granted they were right, I really was not there as a delegate. I just found it a bit odd that the questions came from women who seem to believe that the only thing young women can bring to the political arena is as entertainment for the delegates.

No matter, I was puzzled but not offended. What offended me rather was the pleas that if I had a delegate up my sleeve (pun intended) then I should introduce them to his peers so that when the time for the new party to ascend into office they too should get jobs through their bedroom association with the powers that be.

Now I was not offended because my morals were being brought into question, I have very few. I was also not offended at the suggestion that I would be willing to run what is essentially a prostitution ring. No, what irked me was that these suggestions came not from a place of malice but rather of desperation. These were not women who were lazy or unqualified but rather people who in a fair and equitable country would not need to ever consider prostituting themselves for an entry level government position.

This was a glaring commentary on both our political landscape and our rate of youth unemployment. It is statements like these that cause one to pause and examine our state as a country. The picture it paints is sadly not a pretty one.

If social media commentary is anything to go by, the race is on to shag up with party members in hopes of a better life. As soon as their identities were released anyone who has their number has been bombarded with requests to hand out such numbers. The whole thing would be pathetically funny if it wasn’t so tragic.

The morality police are already questioning the motives of any pretty girl who was seen within a 5km radius of a party member. The gag in all of these is that we are not examining why this is happening. We are once again going to blame young men and women who sleep their way into jobs without ever questioning why we have created a culture where those who are in hiring positions gate-keep jobs and only give them in exchange for bums. As always we are missing the mark.

When Sam Matekane formed the Revolution for Prosperity party, I commented that perhaps I would vote this year, I had not participated in the last two elections. My reasons for lack of participation while decidedly unpatriotic are because I felt I was being forced to choose between different evils. I, and more than a few youths were hopeful that perhaps here was a different horse. A horse worthy of being bet on.

We have watched with great interest as allegiances have been formed and every time there is a whisper of someone from the old political parties joining the new party our hopes sink a little deeper. Could it be that this will be a case of same script, different cast? Actually just the leading man being different and we get the same cast with their old ways. Are young women still going to need to lay more bodies than qualifications on the human resource table? Will young men still need to run around as Ice Boys for “bo grootman”.

I am not a political analyst but with every whisper and worse a confirmation that an old MP has joined the Revolution for Prosperity one wonders whether there will indeed be any revolution. I will be honest to say at this point in time my vote is still firmly with the purple party, only because I am curios and needing of change but I have to wonder that if I, and those like me would still have this unwavering support as the months go by and more and more of the old guard continue to infiltrate the party.

I am not so presumptuous as to attempt to advise someone of Matekane’s stature. All I am is a young person with one vote and I would rather have my skin peeled off my body than to give that one to anyone who has been in government for the past 10 years. I steadfastly refuse to believe in the redemption of people who have let us down over and over again.

I really do hope Matekane’s RFP becomes the ruling party come next election. In the way that I was hoping that anyone, even a certifiable mad man would ascend to power as long as it is not any of the same people but my wish and I should believe anyone with enough sense is that he does it with new qualified people. All we ask for is an administration that hands out posts and appointments based on qualifications and merit. Surely we are not asking for too much.

Thakane Rethabile Shale