The past two weeks have been filled with numerous news stories about Thabo Mbeki, be it his indirect takeover attempt of the Sunday Times’ parent company or his autobiography, a Dream Deferred by Mark Gevisser. A lot if not too much has been said about the president of our republic. So let me chime in with my thoughts.

Firstly on the Sunday Times issue. If Mbeki is not re-elected ANC president, then he will be out of work. Why then should he not be allowed to look for work elsewhere, even if it is the Sunday Times? Mbeki has a right to seek employment like every other South African. If he is part of an investment group looking to buy the parent owner of the Sunday Times, then good for him. What seems to be the problem here for me is that it is Mbeki buying the paper. You know that there are no rules preventing politicians or former politicians from buying media entities. If there is a problem then the people should mobilise and get a law passed.

This is the free market people, so let Mbeki buy what he wants. Recently Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corporation made a bid for the parent of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Murdoch is known for his over bearing influence in his media entities which include 20th Century Fox, Sky TV and newspapers like The Sun in Britain and The New York Daily News in the USA. One of the stumbling blocks to him buying the WSJ was that he had to agree not to interfere in the writing of the WSJ. He was willing to agree to this. What does this have to do with Mbeki and The Sunday Times? Well if his partners agree not to interfere with the writing of the Sunday Times and the other papers then I have no problem with him purchasing the papers. In saying this I do note that journalism is not a pure selfless public service art anymore. Newspapers are owned by corporations who are ultimately responsible to their shareholders and not the public. So it is about money. If Mbeki and friends want to make money they will push a product that sells, no matter their political views. Why should we hold him to a different standard than we hold other media owners who have their own agendas? Murdoch has right wing tendencies; it comes out on Fox News, which is somewhat more right wing than most media in America. He can say what he wants. Mbeki should be no different. In Italy Silvio Berlusconi owned MediaSet while he was still Prime Minister. MediaSet is the largest private media company in Italy. Whether we think it is right or wrong it happens. People with political and economic agendas have access to media and own it most of the time. It is up to us as viewers and readers to make our own decisions when listening, watching and reading news media. I hope we are not like children in that we can not think for ourselves or we are just too lazy to think. If so it is not Mbeki’s fault, its ours.

Secondly, Mark Gevisser’s book on Mbeki sounds like a compelling read. It sounds a bit better that Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom because it is not only Mbeki who loses out, it is his whole family. I do acknowledge that Mandela’s family lost him for 27 years but the Mbeki’s lost a brother and son in the name of liberation. The man he is today is a direct result of the liberation struggle. To be honest I am not a Mbeki fan, I think he is too distant from the people he represents. I think he has too much power in his cabinet and that he is not challenged enough as a leader. He may have despotic tendencies and I think he acts like the Prime Minister of Africa.

After reading parts of his autobiography and interviews with the author, I better understand the man. Everyone is a direct result of their history. Mbeki is no different. I cannot imagine losing my brother and son and not being allowed to cry or deal with it publicly. The book alleges that Mbeki’s brother Jama may have been killed by ANC allies in Lesotho. He and his family could not acknowledge this publicly as it would have jeopardised the ANC’s alliance in Lesotho. I can not imagine making such a decision but he and his family made that decision. Gevisser’s book seems to paint a picture of a man who can not be emotional about anything. Politics is his job, well the ANC is his employer and he has to do whatever it takes to move it forward, no matter the cost. Unfortunately, I think Thabo Mbeki and his family paid too much of a price for the ANC. Yes, I am grateful for what they have done but I feel a pain for the man. Although we are politically free South Africans we are not completely free economically. So what did we Blacks really fight for? Yes, South Africa is a whole lot better now but I want more. The Mbeki’s lost so much and it seems to me that it was for the right to vote and 25% of White owned companies, nothing else. Maybe I am a bitter person but the Mbeki’s are not alone, many families lost so much during Apartheid and the TRC only went less than a third of the way in helping us deal with the atrocities of Apartheid. Many a White man got off for murder, robbery, rape etc. Those same people are the ones that also tell us to forget the past and look forward. Easier said when nothing much has changed for you in the last 100 years or when you have not lost a child, brother, sister, father and mother for no other reason other than the colour of your skin. Closure is harder when you constantly reminded of the price paid to get us ‘free’ and sometimes that price seems too much.

Mbeki is a strong man; he lost a lot for the liberation just like many of us. I can understand why he wants another term as president. He gave his all, blood included to the ANC and the liberation of South Africa. I think he paid too much just like all of us for this. I want more!!!