At the SA Blog Awards on Saturday the lovely people from ZA News were present. Their Helen Zille Puppet was present too and yes, you guessed it, so was Helen Zille herself.
Firstly let me say that since moving to Cape Town I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing the Western Cape Premier speak in person so I was quite happy to know that she would be attending the blog awards. Helen Zille did not disappoint. From what I’ve heard she never does in fact. She was funny, humble and very switched on about her audience, their interests and her relevance to the occasion. Nice one.
But on to the fun stuff. The folks at ZA News wanted to meet Helen and moreover wanted their Helen to meet Helen. So the Helens met:
Compliments to Dave Duarte for the photograph. Nice work.
This post has been brewing in my mind for a while now. In fact, since I decided that I was in firm support of change, yes we can and Barak Obama I’ve been thinking about the state of politics in SA.
I’m not so sure that Zille is our future. In fact I sort of resent the fact that politicians the world over are over the age of 50 and seem to lack any on the ground connection to the voting public. Hence my adoration for Obama and disdain for McCain. Obama got it right, he connected with the “youth” on a level that they wanted or craved.
Why should I put my trust in a leader who doesn’t seem to get me? Who doesn’t seem to talk to me. Maybe she does get me but I honestly don’t hear enough from her to know what she gets.
Which brings me to another point: Why is it that we aren’t hearing from the parties, why is there no campaigning going on? It’s less than a year until I am meant to give my vote away to someone or some party, why is no one rallying for that vote? Or is it such a foregone conclusion that things are too far gone to need to campaign? I think not.
Around the world millions upon millions of dollars are spent on every campaign for presidency. Where is the big money? And surely the big money in SA would mean a winner? The more money, the more exposure, the more votes? Or not?
In a nutshell, I am asking for a leader with firm policies, with a firm grasp on reality, with a firm grasp on society and one that is willing to lead me through the next four years.
This man move and inspires me and my belief in leadership.
In fact I don’t think it’s Obama that moves me, I think it is his supporters who move me. They are united, unified and joined by the desire to make their nation a better place. They are not united against Bush (that is negative action), they are united in favour of the better candidate who they believe can change their situation and better their country in the face of two decades of destruction from two families (Clinton and Bush) of power.
But tell me, who is this person in SA? I have asked this before and will continue to ask until that person rouses themselves from slumber and takes on the future of this nation. Who is going to let me support them with everything I have? With my heart, with my head, my soul, my belief, with everything?
The video above and the one to follow inspire me to want to gather up everyone I can and make an inspirational video for SA. But who for? Who are we supporting?
Helen Zille is the opposition, not the first choice. She isn’t really even a suitable opposition representing our future, not in my opinion. She is simply the opposition. She is not a leader who can challenge Zuma, Mbeki or anyone else.
I am purely speaking now about candidates, individuals, people who can move me to take a stand. It’s hard work standing alone but not if you are standing for and behind someone you know in your heart can make a change. Mandela was that person but his legacy is over and his dreams are being overshadowed by others who are seemingly misled. We need change and we need a catalyst.
