We're no Zimbabwe
From Richard McNeill Sir: Much as I admire Andrew Kenny's writings, especially on the environment, I cannot agree with him that South Africa is on a slippery slope to Mugabedom ('Majority misrule', 17 April). At liberation, the ANC inherited an industrial, commercial, business and civil service infrastructure that had long since achieved critical mass. To this they added a sophisticated new constitution which much of the world envies. Zimbabwe's freedom in terms of the Lancaster House agreement essentially bought off Ian Smith and left a sour taste in many black mouths. The country, whose tribal rivalries Mugabe immediately and savagely exploited, was a plum of discontent waiting for the right moment to be plucked.
To argue that South Africa is doomed to go the Zimbabwe route is a bit like saying that where Luxembourg goes, France must follow.
Richard McNeill
Johannesburg, South Africa
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