Publication: Business Day Date: 2005-12-13 Reporter: The Insider Reporter:

ANC Goose-Steppers Set Party Agenda

 

Publication 

Business Day
Date

2005-12-13

Reporter

The Insider

Web Link

www.bday.co.za

 

The press received a barrage of invitations to the closing ceremony of a week-long meeting of ANC staffers from all the legislatures in the country. President Thabo Mbeki was to deliver the keynote address at the end of the meeting and the press were asked to RSVP with media officer Moloto Mothapo. Clearly they wanted a good press turnout so as not to be embarrassed when the president turned up.

Always keen to oblige, the hacks turned up in numbers and were shown to chairs at the front of the hall. There they sat for more than an hour while regaled by goose-stepping ANC cadres singing revolutionary songs.

Then, suddenly the hall fell quiet; in walked Mbeki, and promptly the press were told to bugger off, since they were not welcome to the “closed session”.

Yes, well, typical hacks, always missing the point. What did they expect from a bunch of goose-steppers? Courtesy? Deference? Answers to the people’s burning questions about former deputy president Jacob Zuma?

With acknowledgements to Business Day.