One of my favourite bad translations is this: “What go now here on then?”
It’s a phrase that kept repeating in my head most of last week, building up to – and during – the State of the Nation Address.
I started asking that question when I found out that President Jacob Zuma had increased the security at Sona substantially.
I said it when I learned that more police officers than ever before will be at Parliament.
I said it again when I found out that more than 400 soldiers would be deployed on the day – the first time that the army does a law and order function at Parliament, a role usually reserved for SAPS.
I whispered it to myself when I spotted a Jo’burg traffic cop car heading into town ahead of Thursday’s Sona.
I know it’s a bit of a funny phrase, but I truly cannot believe what’s happening.
Even though we all expected the chaos that eventually happened, it’s still like watching a car crash or a volcano erupting; you just can’t stop looking.
The days of putting the parliamentary channel on to lull you to sleep are over.
Those times when robust debate was as rowdy as it got, are long gone.
Our Parliament will never be the same again. We accept that now! But, that’s OK.
We have all seen how noisy Britain’s Parliament gets, and THEY seem to function just fine.
Heckling and name calling seems to be a natural progression for our Parliament.
But more worrisome than the juvenile behaviour of our MPs, is the enormous security, especially those soldiers.
It was obviously an intimidation tactic to create fear in those who were planning anything.
But that’s not how it works in politics, especially OUR politics. When feeling threatened, our politicians’ resolve simply harden.
I’ve heard some people say that the president was merely trying to protect the Parliamentary precinct and those attending Sona.
The problem with that is that I hadn’t heard anything about a threat of any sort.
And if there really was any real threat, the deployment would have been very different, involving less visible deterrent and a more tactical response.
Besides, while many people don’t like Zuma and want to see him gone, I can safely say that nobody wants to see him harmed.
But we do need to pay attention to what was done at Sona this year, because small changes such as these are how democracies start to slide.
Before we know it, Zuma will be banning certain representatives from Parliament altogether.
And, whatever we may think of Julius Malema and his MPs, they were elected into those positions and therefore represent a portion of the people.
So how does our president justify having the army at a singular event being attended by supposedly respected members of society and which already had more than enough security?
This question is especially urgent considering that there have been repeated calls for the army to help police the Cape Flats and tackle gangsterism.
Or does JZ consider the actions of some MPs to be sufficiently gangster?
And, if so, why doesn’t he deploy the military to our townships and rather intimidate those who really deserve it?
However rowdy and rude Parliament gets, you cannot fight insulting words with even a threat of bullets.
You cannot send soldiers in to intimidate and scare those who hold opposing views.
You cannot silence vocal anger with brute force, because if you do, then it’s simply a different kind of apartheid.
Let’s not forget one of democracy’s greatest quotes: “I may not like what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”