I have seen Mondli Hlatswayo's hysterial and truly atrocious emails. They are vastly more paranoid and authoritarian than the statements of the ANC but it is striking how they echo, exactly, the discourse that the ANC uses against poor people's movements. And as for Ashwin Desai's public threats of violence (isued in Brandon Pillay's name)against anyone that questions the power that NGOs like Khanya, Ilrig and CCS exert over poor people's movements....well..... The only good thing is that Desai has now finally exposed himself. For too long his thuggery has been romanticised.

At least the AEC are speaking out. But where is the statement from abaHlali? They have borne the brunt of the attacks from Mondli, Desai etc for daring to ask to be able to speak for themselves...Surely abaHlali should be challenging Hlatswayo like they challenged Sutcliffe and Mlaba?

Nafisa