This is a wonderful lesson to all leading and opposition political parties in Africa especially BUT also in the 1st world (Russia, China, UK, Georgia, Saudi Arabia) come to mind. Anointing a leader is no way to have a leader. I am African and I would like to concentrate on that continent. There are checks and balances in the other 'worlds' and they can afford anointments as a way of 'choosing' their leaders, 'am afraid this is a luxury we in Africa can not afford. My hat goes off to Mbeki for accepting the bitter pill and the bloody nose meted out by his party. A party leader in Africa only stays in power because members of his ruling party are too docile and sheepish to challenge their (most-often) rather abissmal reign as helmsman. The opposition has to begin from within the party itself. If change is not effected at that critical stage, the country is too powerless to fight the arsenal of duplicity, rigging and brutal suppression from the henchmen, administrators and thugs of the government machinery. This orchestra of robotic actors is strengthened and guranteed by the armed forces who MUST keep the leader to ensure the continuous pilfering of the country's resources. Members of the central committee of ruling parties must say to themselves "we can occupy that pole position and rule this country and possibly do a better job than the current leader'. I am certain that amongst their ranks, each member of the inner circle of the ruling party knows someone who can lead the country better than the present leader. Team up with others and create a plausible alternative governing team and oust the present leaders because the simple ruth is that the current leaders in most African cuntries have FAILED.

This is a wonderful lesson to all ruling and opposition political parties in Africa especially BUT also in the 1st world (Russia, China, UK, Georgia, Saudi Arabia) come to mind. Annointing a leader is no way to have a leader. I am African and I would like to concentrate on that continent. There are checks and balances in the other 'worlds' and they can afford annointments as a way of 'choosing' their leaders, I'm afraid this is a luxury we in Africa can not afford. My hat goes off to Mbeki for accepting the bitter pill and the bloody nose meted out by his party. A party leader in Africa only stays in power because members of his ruling party are too docile and sheepish to challenge his/her (most-often) rather abissmal reign as helmsman. The opposition has to begin from within the party itself. If change is not effected at that critical stage, the country is too powerless to fight the arsenal of duplicity, rigging and brutal suppression from the henchmen, administrators and thugs of the government machinery. This orchestra of robotic actors is strengthened and guranteed by the armed forces who MUST keep the leader to ensure the continuous pilfering of the country's resources. Members of the central committee of ruling parties must say to themselves "we can occupy that pole position and rule this country and possibly do a better job than the current leader'. I am certain that amongst their ranks, each member of the inner circle of the ruling party knows someone who can lead the country better than the present leader. Team up with others and create a plausible alternative governing team and oust the present leaders because the simple truth is that the current leaders in most African countries have FAILED.