By: Clyde Ramalaine
In recent times the prominence of Carl Niehaus, a full human, in our media and ANC has attracted the hate of some whom for diverse reasons wants a one-dimensional picture on him to define the totality of his life. Those who hate Carl make up an interesting three groups of people, Afrikaners[outside the ANC], liberals [inside the ANC] and a section of black elites in the ANC leadership.
I respect Carl because I know Carl from a close distance. Carl Gerhardus Niehaus’ credentials attests among others illustrious designations such as former MK Soldier, former Member of parliament, former Ambassador to Netherlands, Nelson Mandela’s spokesman, former NEC member and current MKMVA NEC member. The Carl I know simply can’t be defined by his past wrongs, [who of us are without sin or mistakes?]
The Niehaus that I know is defined by a gifted intellect, endowed with a tremendous grasp at political schooling. He has an in-depth understanding of the ANC. Is a recognised mobilizer and foot-soldier of the Movement he has served for more than two-score and one years. Carl is a principled cadre that will not degenerate to do things out of pure hate and malice. I have watched him defend ANC leaders that detests him.
At a skills level, Niehaus is a prolific writer, a gifted communicator and understands the intricacies of a SA media in its one-dimensional mainline agenda-driven campaigns. Carl and I have penned a series of four articles last year in anticipation of the 2019 ANC January 8 Statement under the heading ” An elitist ANC leadership finds a pro-poor agenda a discomfort” [IOL & AfricaNews 24-7 & Pretoria News].
The Carl I know is a man that takes his family in particular his two daughters very serious, he is a loving father and agonises if he cannot do for his kids what he believes they deserve, no different to all of us. Niehaus is arguably one of the best male dressers in the ANC. His dresstyle renders him such an antithesis of Afrikaner dress-code identity. When I asked him where he learned to dress the way he does, he unashamedly told me, from black comrades that he observed.
Having worked with Carl on the NDZ 17 Campaign I also can confirm that his in the campaign was a selfless one. He did all of that without any remuneration or compensation. He is always willing to champion any cause he believes in.
Carl and I share another common experience, like him we both have on separate occasions and unbeknown to each other in private meetings with President Zuma told the latter, we are vilified, labelled, hated and accused by those who hate you and we have not once benefitted from anything [positions or economic opportunities] that defined your presidency or access to power. To which Zuma confessed. That is ample confirmation that Carl does not do what he does for narrow personal interests but because he fundamentally believes in a just cause. Zuma’s case is a just case that every sensible and true believer in justice will identify with.
His most recent role in the RET Forces of Gauteng, a structure organised to strengthen support for the cause of radical economic transformation and justice [ lobbying for ANC 54th Conference resolutions] sees him instrumental in expressing disgust on the ongoing unjust treatment of President Jacob G Zuma. This presence in media spaces again raised eyebrows for some in the ANC. Their discomfort is often informed by their personal lack of doing anything constructive in this regard. Niehaus distinguished himself to support and take initiatives and given his communications background, he is bound to be in the limelight. Sometimes one’s skills necessitates one to lead where there is a need or a vacuum. It becomes increasingly a case of self-interest in the ANC, meaning some are likely to be silent on the wrong as long they benefit in a job or share in an economy.
Perhaps what I appreciate most about the Carl I know as a professional is his humility to ask for my opinion on a variety of issues, some very strategic, and when I venture a different one to his, he often respects and is willing to adjust his view. I have on occasion seen tweets or posts on social media and have in unsolicited sense from the bedrock of our comradeship volunteered to suggest a different angle or a wholesome alteration in the removal of something and he would say, I appreciate that you were honest with me. I have seen him withdraw posts in many instances after consulting. I recognise he as ANC- Veteran could have an attitude of I will say what I want to say, yet he is humble enough to consult or solicit advice and I do not suppose I am the only person he consults. For me, that is a sign of political maturity.
In my capacity as a theologian I can confirm that he trusted me with the pain of his past and I know how that affects him to this day. I have seen him become vulnerable in remorse about his past. I am one of those who have told him to forgive himself and ignore those who live in the dustbin of others errors as haters. No court has ever ruled him a criminal. No ANC Disciplinary Structure has ever ruled on him in error of discipline. No one who in time past ever accused him of wrong has ever laid a charge that saw a court ruled against him in guilty verdict. Unfortunately led by the media-driven campaign of demons and angels, in SA Carl Niehaus is a demon.
He is hated by some whites because he rejects whiteness even in his life-partner choices. He is detested for being willing to take on from FW De Klerk [ the eternal defender of apartheid ] to a wanton racist Steve Hofmeyr. He thus is for some of this group scum because he betrayed Afrikanerdom in it’s heretical apartheid ideology of a white superior race, [mistasting – ideologie van superioriteits kompleks geanker in ras]. Niehaus is for them nothing but a verraaier [betrayer].
If he is hated by apartheid ideologues and beneficiaries, he is also hated by the forever embarrassed liberal [verligtes] whites who joined the ANC no different to him. Their hate of him is informed by the fact that his meteoric rise to prominence in the early days of a liberated South Africa to be Mandela’s spokesperson remains a bitter pill to swallow. It’s called cadre-envy. They detest him because he in their minds outshines them in sustainable commitment to mobilize. Most of them have long stopped mobilizing but have retired to a claim of their struggle contributions. They are now the heroes, the ones who see themselves as gatekeepers and authorities on the morality of a black struggle. None of these liberals are interested to continue the fight for economic freedom, it appears political freedom was their aim and once attained extended them a right in extraordinaire to act as referees on the ANC while insisting to be the moral compass of a struggle. It is interesting that it appears for many of the liberals who joined the ANC political freedom for blacks was the end and be all of a liberation struggle. For Carl Niehaus, the struggle continues because he has associated himself with the full liberation of the oppressed of which the apartheid victims define its identity.
Yet if Carl is abhorred in Afrikaner and the pietistic [vroom] English white liberalist rhetoric he is also increasingly hated by group of insecure black leadership in the ANC. These I have early alluded to are hell-bent to have him removed because he gets too much mileage and coverage. There exists no substantive reason for their mistrust. For them, he is now conveniently a white man. It reminded me of a conversation I had with the late Comrade Oom Bill Jardine before he passed on. Oom Bill was almost in tears when he said to me in Eldorado Park, “Pastor Ramalaine when we were in the struggle we were all one, now I have to hear we are coloured…” These words have stayed with me because I too have experienced that in the ANC and was one of the reasons why I never renewed my ANC membership since 1999. I continued voting for the ANC except for 2019.
I assess that there is a group of ANC leaders who are trying hard to play down the role of this ANC veteran of 41 years. They easily extend veteran respect to others while never acknowledging Carl as their equal. He is vilified by some senior leaders who really cannot handle his limelight, they are hard at work seeking to have him removed not because of any justifiable reason that ANC policy can support but for frivolous factional and petty political interestvreasons. From my observation there is a developing misconception that manifests a campaign in some circles that mislead themselves to think if they can get him as a “white” man out of Luthuli House, the ANC will be united. It is amazing how Carl for these are automatically and conveniently white and not to be trusted in this epoch. This is not just foolhardy but utter political immaturity and cannot be taken seriously for the shallowness of this thinking. Yet another reason why some detest Carl is his challenge to white monopoly capital, the very means by which many of these ANC comrades were financially dry-cleaned.
In recent times some fuelled by reverse racism drive a campaign to claim him as WHITE as trying to be too radical and questioned as to why he and not them are leading efforts to support a “Welcome Home Zuma” campaigns. Some of them uncritically embrace a Barbara Hogan or Derek Hanekom when they vilify Niehaus. The aforementioned are never questioned in their whiteness. In my view they are plain down jealous and resort to the race card.
Carl has earned his veteran status in the ANC and must be respected for that. Those who want to treat him like a child, to shout at him as a convenient white or a Johnny-cum late must look in the mirror and realise he in ANC setting may have contributed more than them.
There are few organisers such as Carl Niehaus. I have seen how he was instrumental in mobilizing and putting things together when later some in the shallowness of a claim of a convenient black identity and personal ego is free to hijack work they had no hand in. When Derek Hanekom, Ronnie Kasrils or a Barbara Hogan speaks they are naturally celebrated in frames of media scripted ‘angels’ while Carl is demonized and perpetually insulted.
To me, Carl Niehaus is a friend, a cadre and brother. He will remain an ANC veteran and a genuine cadre one of the very few left. I trust Carl’s sincerity and will this week accompany him from the frame of a cadre and brother, to give his testimony in the Neil Aggett Inquest. I also can confirm that he does not appear as summoned by anyone, his name was mentioned by a former police officer and we discussed it and I was instrumental in raising the need for his testimony in this inquest. I, therefore, will go with Carl to the inquest no dissimilar to how I was willing to accompany a member of the previous top-six to the SACC’s so-called ‘unburdening’ intervention. No different to how I continue to support President Jacob Zuma. I support him no different to how in the middle of the night I had the privilege to counsel some in the TOP six when they were denied access to funerals because some painted them corrupt.
In this sense, the hate for Carl by some in the ANC is similar to the hate others have for Zuma. They still cannot accept that the latter became president. They may work to have Niehaus removed from Luthuli House but Niehaus will survive since he remains a fiercely loyal activist for justice.
Is he perfect certainly not since none of us are. That’s the Carl I know!
