INDIAN PROFESSIONALS EXPRESS DISMAY WITH ANC

C O N F I D E N T I A L DURBAN 000066 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2018 TAGS: PGOV SF SUBJECT: INDIAN PROFESSIONALS EXPRESS DISMAY WITH ANC REF: PRETORIA 2407 CLASSIFIED BY: JILL DERDERIAN, CONSUL GENERAL. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Introduction and summary: At a small lunch hosted by long-time Consulate contact Mahmoud Rajab, Managing Director of New National Insurance Company, a cross-section of Indian (both Hindu and Muslim) professionals, some with ties to the old Natal Indian Congress of the apartheid era -- a doctor, two accountants, a lawyer, a financial regulator, and a retailer -- told CG of their frustrations with the African National Congress. They echoed concerns about neglect and disappointment reported in reftel and voiced publicly in August 2008 by Fatima Meer, a long-time ANC activist. End summary. ¶2. (C) Lawyer and scholar Hassim Seekat stated that he was not going to vote in the 2009 elections because he was so disenchanted with the ANC -- its leadership took Indian support for granted and did not show enough respect, he said. His decision not to vote based on disappointment with the ANC mirrored public comments made by veteran ANC member Fatima Meer in August 2008. Rajab reminded his guests that Indians only made up about two or three percent of the national population, to keep concerns in perspective. Well-informed Indian CG Harsh Sringlal noted that the numbers of Indians in the national cabinet and in Parliament had in fact declined between 1994 and ¶2008. Although some national observers have speculated that Indians might join the new party formed by Lekota and Shilowa (reftel),none of the lunch participants appeared to be very interested in the party or thought it could truly challenge the ANC in the near-term -- although they noted it contributed to broader-based democracy in South Africa. ¶3. (C) The group despaired over the October 30 funeral of ANC veteran Billy Nair, which was transformed into a massive ANC political rally. According to Sringlal, who attended the funeral, the event was 95 percent ANC politics and 5 percent about Mr. Nair's life and contributions to the ANC and the anti-apartheid struggle. Seekat noted with cynicism that the ANC did not do very much to recognize a contemporary of Nair, Yunus Mahomed, when he passed away in January 2008, and commented that his grave already was a mess and "not looked after by anyone." ¶4. (C) All members of the group expressed disappointment with the ANC's failure to tap more Indians for leadership positions in government, given the skills and capabilities that many Indians had to offer and the country's need for strong leaders and managers. They pointed to South African Revenue Service Commissioner Pravin Gordhan as an example of an extremely effective leader. With admiration and respect, they noted that "he wrote his own speeches" and commented on how relentlessly he carried out his duties -- even handing out registration forms to small business owners when he was visiting shops in downtown Durban during the holiday season, and "going after" the medical profession, based on his past experience as a fundraiser for anti-apartheid activities, when Indian health professionals took off-the-books money "from their bottom drawers" to donate to the struggle. ¶5. (C) The most upbeat voice in the small gathering came from the youngest of the group--the soft-spoken, highly accomplished, Dr. Cyrus Rustomjee, who heads the Financial Services Board and the Policy Board for Financial Services and Regulation. Rustomjee, who previously represented South Africa at the World Bank and IMF, said he continued to support the ANC and was not as despondent as the others. He agreed that the ANC had not lived up to expectations in terms of service delivery, but noted that the party had faced many challenges as part of the longer-term transition from apartheid to democracy. Interestingly, Rustomjee will soon relocate to London to take up a Commonwealth position; he told CG that while he expects to come back to South Africa in the future, he was not sure his children would, given that he wanted the best for them in terms of education and opportunities. This remark perhaps reveals a clearer insight into Rustomjee's attitudes. DERDERIAN