5 November 2009
editorial
Johannesburg — BECAUSE coups should generally not be encouraged, we are uncomfortable about the prospect that President Jacob Zuma might have played an important role in the early release of four South African mercenaries who have just been granted amnesty for a failed 2004 coup plot in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.
One does not need to trot out political philosophy texts to know that the most fundamental point of a state's existence is to ensure the security of its citizens. A society that lacks a functioning state apparatus with the capacity to effectively regulate human behaviour will quickly slide into Hobbes's dreaded state of nature. Some may argue that Equatorial Guinea is already there, but that is beside the point.
In order to fulfil this function, someone needs to be watching the back of the state itself. States are vulnerable to attack, and coups are the most violent form they take. Coup plots are rightly regarded as illegal and immoral barring very few and complex circumstances in which the state being overthrown is itself an illegal and immoral entity. In general, nonviolent forms of political engagement, such as participating in elections, must be the preferred method for bringing about political change.
We should not be seen to be endorsing the behaviour of men who think otherwise.
And this kind of support is ill-advised when one considers that SA still needs to rid itself of the unwelcome reputation that it offers a friendly space for folks like Simon Mann who enjoy toppling states. Mercenaries from SA have often been hired across the continent, creating an impression that the country cares little about the illegal involvement of its citizens in other countries' affairs.
This is why we passed legislation in 2006 to deal with the issue. The aim was to crack down on the mercenary trade.
A good starting place, however, must be that the president lead upfront by showing little compassion for citizens sticking their immoral hands in the political cookie jars of other states.
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