Selfondersoek welkom, maar . . .

Verlede jaar al is gegis wat die tema van die eerste jaar van dr. Hage Geingob se tweede ampstermyn sal wees.

Tydens gister se kabinetsitting is die sluier gelig: Selfondersoek is 2020 se fokus. Geingob het ook opnuut benadruk hoe hard November se verkiesingsuitslae die regering moet wakker skud.

Ons betwis nie die opregtheid van Geingob se droom van 'n vooruitstrewende “Namibiese Huis” vir almal nie. Die visie het egter nog nie genoegsame vrugte opgelewer nie.

Introspeksie kan net werk as dit eerlik en bloedig reguit is. Ontleding en herbeoordeling sal 'n nuttelose na binne kyk wees as dit nie groei en ontwikkeling baar nie – in ekonomies moeilike omstandighede.

Hopelik loer ons nie dadeloos na mekaar nie omdat staatsgeld skraps gaan bly en skuld verder gedy. Ons moet ophou agter die resessie en internasionale warrelwinde wegkruip.

Die jare van rekenskap en verantwoording se opbrengste was skraps. Daarom moet ons aanhoudend ysere optrede teen alle korrupsie en verkwisting eis. Vervolgings in die Fishrot-sage is geen louere om op te rus nie.

Geingob is heeltemal reg dat kabinetslede, adjunkministers, parlementslede en ander senior staatslui sy visie sal maak of breek. Juis op hierdie vlakke ontbreek leiding deur voorbeeld en aksie.

Geingob, wat reeds gesê het hy gaan die kabinet verklein, se skuiwe en keuses voor die nuwe regering se inswering sal wys hoeveel hoop ons moet hê.

Maar net nog 'n gewone jaar – maak nie saak wat die tema of titel is nie – sal vertroue in die regering bloot verder laat verkrummel.



So sê ander

4 Februarie 2020



Iowa's Unholy Mess



Is Iowa a metaphor? A harbinger?

Either way it's a mess — and not the way any Democrat wanted the party's voting to begin in an election year with stratospheric stakes.

To excite the most Americans possible and have its best chance of toppling President Trump, the Democratic Party needs a sorting of candidates that's coherent, a system that inspires faith, a process that makes participants feel respected and heard.

What Iowa provided on Monday night was a baffling spectacle resistant to any quick, definitive verdict. Hours after the actual, physical caucusing there were no official results.

The candidates were stunned. Their aides were livid. And Democrats nationwide waited and waited and surely, in most cases, gave up and went to bed.

Not me. I was too agitated — and too curious to see how soon Trump or his enablers would exploit this turn of events. The inevitable answer: right away.

Iowa is a prompt for cynicism. Cynicism is Trump's lifeblood.

It's 2016 all over again. Wasn't the party supposed to learn from its mistakes?

As the hours ticked by, the Iowa Democratic Party released a statement saying that the delay was attributable to their diligence in resolving inconsistencies and that there was “not a hack or an intrusion”. But doubts had already been stoked.

Thanks, Iowa, for the clarity. Way to get the ball rolling.

• THE NEW YORK TIMES (FRANK BRUNI)