If one listens to public statements from many senior ANC-COSATU-SACP tripartite alliance leaders, double-speak, rhetoric and talking in code has now – sadly – become the dominant culture of politics.

Leaders will say one thing, but do the opposite. Some leaders say they are pro-poor, but they drive R1.2 million cars paid for with scarce public money. Others again call for strong measures against corruption, but behave in dodgy ways themselves.

Yet others again defend gender equality while in the same breath making outrageously outdated sexist statements. Some argue for nationalisation of the mines, saying this is meant to redistribute resources to the poor.

If only this was genuine. In reality, they want to bail out struggling black economic empowerment tycoons or put their friends in charge of the proposed nationalised companies – and so extend their web of patronage.

Others defend our democratic institutions, but in their actions undermine it. They defend the rule of law and call for those who transgress it to be harshly punished. Yet, they themselves – as senior politicians and their allies – appear to be untouchable. When they do wrong, they can manipulate things in such a way that they will go scot-free.

Leaders ‘talk left, but act right’. Some say they are communists, but their real actions indicate they are not. In public ANC (African National Congress) leaders say everything is honky-dory, they are ‘united’, but in private they viciously fight among themselves.

Nobody knows anymore what the genuine policies of leaders and organisations within the ANC family are.

It is now difficult to distinguish between fact and fantasy. It is a circus. If the consequences to ordinary citizens were not so tragic, one could have joked about it.

Firstly, the policy confusion that the double-talk, rhetoric and talking in code is causing means that those who devise or implement policies either do not have adequate information, or have the wrong information, to do so effectively.

The same goes for those who want to make new investments. They cannot do so, because they do know not the real policy position of government.

Even for government planners, confused information from politicians will make it very difficult for them allocate resources efficiently. In fact government officials are forced to second-guess what the genuine policies are. It also causes implementation paralysis. Senior civil servants will be reluctant to implement policies they are not sure are backed by the influential politicians in the ANC. It could be career ending.

The double talk also opens the door for corruption. Since there is no certainty about policies, those with enough money can pay to have policies that favour their interests, implemented.

The lack of information also means that ordinary people are totally confused. Government leaders make outrageous promises, even if they know the resources, capacities or detailed plans to make it possible are not there.

They drum up the expectations of ordinary citizens. Not surprisingly promises made this way are hardly met. No wonder that many deflated communities then vent their frustration in angry outbursts by burning down municipal buildings, trains and the homes of local elected representatives.

It is better if there is total honesty about policies, decisions and the reasons for them. It is also better to state the real motivations for particular policies, decisions and approaches. It is also better to openly admit shortcomings – rather than covering up.

Then society can then debate the various proposals on their merits. We can then honestly decide our core priorities – which we cannot do effectively now, in a culture where double-speak is the norm. If only for selfish reasons, the ANC, COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions) and the SACP (South African Communist Party) must stop the double-speak, as it erodes the trust their members and supporters have in them.

Without that trust, their membership will lose confidence in them – and leave them sooner rather than later. Importantly, ordinary citizens will become more cynical about politics, withdraw from politics altogether, or start to express their preferences increasingly more violently.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* This article first appeared in the Sowetan.
* William Gumede is co-editor (with Leslie Dikeni) of the newly released The Poverty of Ideas.
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.