Bad decisions and flawed messengers: How a crisis can grow into a disaster

Wednesday night’s briefing by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has stirred rebellious feelings in many. They are angry at the restrictions on their movements, at the limited window for exercise, and they distinctly dislike being treated as subjects, rather than citizens.

There is some justification for their view. At the same time though, there is now the potential for even more social discord, stemming from our racialised inequality. The middle classes may be blamed for the pandemic, while being seen to be complaining about it the most.

In any crisis, the person communicating on behalf of a government is a key figure. They determine what the message is and how it is received. People will at least partly judge the message on the identity of this person, on their history, on their past behaviour. It is also important to communicate in simple terms. There is no space during a crisis/pandemic to make frequent amendments to what you are communicating.

It is for this reason that so many in the middle classes have a favourable opinion of President Cyril Ramaphosa. He took on Jacob Zuma and won, and gave the impression that he would govern in the interests of the people.

Anyone communicating on behalf of our government, led by the ANC, will have a tough task. The party’s current leadership has spoken of the “nine wasted years” under its previous leadership. Corruption is now seen as so pervasive that many wonder if it can ever be brought under control. Even during the pandemic, there have been reports of tenders being awarded to friends.

Unfortunately, for many, Dlamini Zuma has done nothing to win their trust. She campaigned against Ramaphosa, on behalf of Zuma (she might deny this, but there is strong evidence to support this claim). She has never publicly disavowed him, or the Guptas. At one point, in October 2017, just ahead of the ANC’s Nasrec conference, only 16% of those polled said she would be a good leader of the ANC (in the same poll, 43% of people said Ramaphosa would be a good leader of the party).

She has never given any hint that she believes citizens have the right to hold her accountable. The only broadcast interview she gave during her Nasrec campaign was to the then Mzwanele Manyi-owed (allegedly) ANN7. She has hardly ever held press conferences or agreed to interrogatory interviews.

Then there is the problem of what could be called her previous scandals. It’s been claimed that she has spent time in the company of people who deal in illegal cigarettes, who would benefit from a continued ban. True to the already stated pattern, she has not answered questions about this.

And let’s not forget what many call South Africa’s first corruption scandal, Sarafina II. All of these issues undermine the public legitimacy of her announcements and decisions now.

She is not the only one in Cabinet with this problem.

 

...communication is vital, and the message needs to be communicated properly, clearly and concisely. It should be delivered by someone who is seen as legitimate.