Hogan directly contradicted official government spokesman Thabo Masebe,
who claimed that the visa had been refused because the government did
not want to detract from the 2010 soccer World Cup.
It was a ludicrous piece of spin-doctoring that had the nation in
stitches and it might well have prompted Hogan to distance herself from
the charade.
Was she within her rights, as a member of the Cabinet, to dissent, publicly, with an official statement?
At face value, the answer would appear to be no. A minister is part
of the government and ought to fall into line with the government's
decisions.
But was there a Cabinet decision to bar the Dalai Lama? Or was it a decision taken on the fly by the president?
Can a minister disagree with the president if the matter has not been canvassed in the cabinet?
Then there is the matter of the party and its policies. It would seem
that Hogan has not contradicted the ruling party. The ANC's manifesto
makes no mention of China or the Dalai Lama, but it does call for the
protection and advancement of human rights.
Hogan might argue that her position is closer to ANC policy than the visa decision.
What appears to have taken place here is that President Kgalema
Motlanthe made policy on the fly after experiencing diplomatic pressure
from the Chinese, something that has been openly admitted by the
government.
The ANC should stay true to its post-Polokwane promise to air out the
cupboards and allow its leaders to publicly dissent without
consequences.
The Times (SA)
Post published in: Uncategorized