Next: The Black House
For all his sins, President Donald Trump does at least tell it like it is. One recent peeve is the name of the department of defence.
“Somehow it didn’t sound good to me... Why are we ‘defence’? It used to be called the department of war and it had a stronger sound and, you know, we won World War 1 and we won World War 2, we won everything... I don’t want to be defence only… we want offence, too,” Trump said.
A few days later the defence department’s X account changed its name to the department of war.
Having watched China’s Victory Day military parade the other day, Hogarth hopes there are enough adults in Washington to tell the Orange One that it would take more than a name change to win World War 3.
Party logo shortage crisis
Never mind the policy platform — what’s got people talking about Floyd Shivambu’s new Afrika Mayibuye Movement (AMM) is how similar its logo is to that of the EFF. Readers will remember that Jacob Zuma’s MK Party also couldn’t bear to be parted from the mother ship’s colours and symbols, and appropriated them for itself.
Hogarth recalls that, after a couple of weeks as an apprentice at the Nkandla Institute of “political something-something”, Shivambu came back saying he had learnt more from the Nkandla Crooner in those few days than he had in a decade at the feet of EFF Supreme Leader Juju Malema.
It would appear that, at the institute, Shivambu majored in Trademark Infringement.
The quality of modesty is strained
Normally, when a fresh political party launches, the public announcement is handled by someone other than the new head honcho. This is designed to convey a sense of modesty.
It’s a concept that Shivambu didn’t spend much time on at the Nkandla Institute, however.
After a long speech about the “national consultation” he claims preceded the decision to add yet another party to the gazillion already registered with the IEC, Shivambu announced what everybody already knew — that he would be president of the AMM.
“We no longer have a national convener but we have got a president of Mayibuye Movement… So I am talking here now as the president of AMM.”
Maybe another thing Shivambu learnt from his stint at the MK Party is that a party founder should never allow any of his lieutenants to speak at a news conference. All that media attention might give them ideas about starting their own parties.
Not much cash to count anyway
Now that the IFP is part of the national government, it seems to be absorbing the ANC’s bad habits. As it prepares to hold its long-overdue electoral conference, two election slates have emerged, one headed by incumbent leader Velenkosini Hlabisa, one by Mzamo Buthelezi.
Like in the ANC, there is competition for almost all the positions on offer. Only one post is uncontested, that of treasurer-general — it’s held by the party’s ultimate political survivor, Narend Singh.
The Oliphant in the room
Hogarth does not have enough information to comment on the suspension of former journalist Lumka Oliphant from her job as spokesperson for the social development department. But he does find it disturbing that the department stands accused of victimising her based on suspicions that she may have leaked a story to this newspaper.
It was lovely though to hear Oliphant and 702’s Ray White have such a good interview the other morning.
The last time Hogarth heard Oliphant on the station, when Bathabile Dlamini was still minister, she insisted on answering questions in her mother tongue, Xhosa.
For a moment, Hogarth feared White would be forced to recall 702 presenter Jonathan Fairbairn for interpretation. He is called Ahh Khabazela, right? So, surely he can at least converse in the language of uShaka iLembe.
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