The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men: Plato.

Wise men’s old sayings are often just as applicable today. Plato’s words could just as well have been Nostradamus’ predictions and description on the outfall of the South African election 2009. But indifferent, were they really? Wasn’t it a democratic election?

True, 10 million people voted for Jacob Zuma and the ANC. Some voted for the political party ANC and its brand value. ANC has still got a strong position after the freedom fights during Apartheid. It will still stand strong as long as Mandela is alive. Others voted for Zuma, the Zulu boy. But they voted and they won, so on those terms it’s true that it was a democratic election. They were not indifferent.

It’s rather a question of what are acceptable standards. A majority of the votes came from the poor black population. What standards are they used to? In the townships they are used to all sorts of crime - corruption, fraud and rape on a daily basis. Let me see, Zuma was also charged with fraud, corruption and rape - 700 charges in total. That’s a 100% match! That’s exactly the calibre of authorities that they are used to from their community. They voted for what they were familiar with and were comfortable with, thus Zuma and ANC.

The charges against Jacob Zuma, found guilty or not, does not constitute the calibre of an electable leader many places outside Africa. Some may have noticed how Zuma acted like desperate and guilty person the way he was fighting to avoid charges. He managed to dissolve the Scorpions (corruption task force), saved by the bell, so that the last hinder to presidency was gone.

The election in Zimbabwe comes to mind. The media was praising it as a good democratic election. The real opposition was tortured and killed over a number of years ahead of the election. In farming terminology it’s called weeding, although Mugabe did not improve agriculture much in Zimbabwe. But democratic it was indeed!

On the list of voters you will find that a lot of people have marked an “X” next to their name. A few literate people are running the ANC whilst the rest have fled or are trying to find a way to flee the country, also called the brain drain.

For the most part I’d say Plato’s words are spot on. The ANC voters were not indifferent though, they just didn’t know any better. They still pay the price!