The thing that often enough goes amiss is how events unfold in space & time that mirror our state (of mind / affairs / consciousness). Most people would scoff at such ideas, but it is not new.

The power cuts by Eskom seems to have little to do with the power struggle in the ANC, yet it reflects beautifully on it. Mbeki has been called a paranoid leader who makes enemies of those who disagree with him as you rightly describe. He is also characterised by how he denies any opinion that differs with his.

It is this “blacking-out” of ideas and opinions that is so succintly reflected in the effect it has on our collective consciousness by the Eskom power failures. What better symbol to recognise Mbeki’s footprint in the sand than to point at those symbols which reflect at a higher level of consciousness, how he stood for the blacking-out of diversity, the essence of Nelson Mandela’s rainbow nation?

By choosing to deny and “Stalinate” those who expressed diverse opinions, he not merely disagreed with them, he tried to quash the rays of light that make up the full spectrum of the rainbow so that there would be only one version of events, one version of reality, i.e. His Holy Dignaciousness’s.

He was an extramist in the making. No wonder he never disagreed publicaly with Bob (Mugabe). Those who disagree with him must be wrong. How could he ever be wrong?

This arrogance is the trend amongst Africa’s “big men”. It is the starting point of rot in democracies that has seen so many African states take the slippery road downwards. Zuma may be an appaling candidate, but as an underdog he reflects better than anyone the struggle against such tyranny.

Of course, Mbeki will now get on a stand and profess his profound self-righteousness, whilst everyone except His denialist Dignaciousness would recognise how he is the threat and the one who employs the strategies he so freely criticisizes in his self-righteous speeches.

Well he has now received a bloody punched nose that he had coming and more than anything else, deserved.

Out-of-office