Obama Campaigns for South African Ruling Party ... in Zulu

More like South Africa's embattled ruling party, the African National Congress is using Barack Obama to attract voters. National and provincial elections are set for next month (April 22).

The party has unveiled its new election song: "NjengoBarack Obama owaleth' utshintsho e-America, votelani i-ANC kube nokuthula e-Africa." Translated it means: "Just as Barack Obama brought change to America, vote ANC so that there will be peace in Africa," as South Africa's Sunday Independent reports.

Predictions are the ANC will win the election, though by a reduced and tainted by the association of its presidential candidate, Jacob Zuma, with corruption and populism.

ANC spokesperson Lindiwe Zulu told the Sunday Independent that the ruling party had been "bitten by the Obama bug."

The ANC's open attempt at associating its campaign with Obama seems odd, given the party leaders' refusal to meet with Obama during a 2006 Africa by the then-Senator from Illinois. At that time Obama publicly criticized then-President Thabo Mbeki's wrongheaded AIDS policies.

Oppositions parties also play up a supposed link to Obama. The breakaway Congress of the People that split from the ANC late last year, play up "Hope" and "Change" in their party literature, while the largely white Democratic Alliance copied Obama's logo.

This is at least not as far-fetched as the Ghanaian opposition candidate who ran posters of himself with Barack Obama that made it appear like Obama was his Vice Presidential running mate in last year's presidential elections. That candidate, John Atta Mills, is now Ghana's President.

Comments

[Mzimkhulu Nyeka]

The current crop of leaders in the ANC are nothing but opportunists who want to enrich themselves by abusing the trust South Africans have bestowed upon them. Corruption is out of control. Criminals grace the parliamentary list of the ruling party. The ANC's candidate for president is resisting prosecution for corruption, yet he is guaranteed to emerge as president of the country, come April, 22.

Mbeki was a denialist indeed. His intransigence in the face of overwhelming evidence that HIV causes aids, is responsible for the death of thousands of South Africans including infants whose only crime was being born during his presidency. Mr. Zuma, a tribalist and ignoramus if there ever was one, has already been tried for rape! Of course, he was acquitted. South Africans should thank their stars that he even showed up for his trial.

The presiding judge scolded him for his reckless and irresponsible behavior of engaging in sex without the use of a condom after his acquittal. Undeterred, Mr. Zuma responded that he had taken a shower after the rape (or was it consensual sex)? to protect himself!. That is the man poised to preside over the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa!