It seems the world’s electorate no longer wants virtuous, critical thinking, intelligent leaders.
I am struggling to understand why we are continuing to vote horrible people into power?
It’s like we are giving life to our worst instincts.
As is the case with most political cycles, the last few weeks have again exposed the greed and selfishness of our leaders.
This pandemic has not shielded us from stories of corruption and nepotism.
But the one that stuck me the most for its sheer brazenness, is the story of the municipal chief whip from the Eastern Cape who was caught on video swearing at people.
Lindelwa Penisi is an ANC councillor in the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality and she has an extremely vulgar mouth.
Even worse though is her reported tendency to cut services to residents who don’t not agree with her politics.
In the video, she reportedly redirected a water tanker away from people standing nearby with buckets. Because they did not vote for her.
She can be seen angrily shouting at people in the distance.
And she doesn’t hold back either.
This video of the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality, ANC Chief Whip Lindelwa Penisi, was recorded in Fort Beaufort Emagaleni...
Posted by Transparent Admin Group on Monday, July 27, 2020
To her party’s credit, she was recalled and is being disciplined.
But that still doesn’t address the fact that she held such a position of power, and probably will again (if we can go by the ruling party’s redeployment history).
Hiding Penisi away behind a desk somewhere doesn’t erase the fact that she - and others like her - exist in positions of power.
If she was prepared to spitefully withhold something as basic as water from fellow human beings, can you imagine what else she would be prepared to do to punish them!
What if she can influence other service delivery to those residents, like housing, social grants, roads or policing?
Even more striking about the incident is that she can be seen looking at the camera, which means that she knew she was being recorded, but that didn’t stop her.
It’s almost as if that knowledge gave her more fire.
We really need to start looking at our leadership pool much closer when elections come around.
Because if our leaders are supposed to represent us and be a reflection of us, then what does voting people like Penisi into power say about us?