Viva, Chief Rabbi, viva!

NICOLA MILTZ

Despite enormous disappointment in the aftermath of the unsuccessful vote to dismantle the president from power, Rabbi Goldstein told the crowds in the hours leading up to it, that he was hopeful of South Africa’s future.

“Friends I have got hope that we will build a great country together. I have got hope in the future of our beloved South Africa. I will tell you why I have got hope. Look around you. Look at the great people of this country.

“We are a nation of heroes, G-d-fearing, ethical, good people of courage and boldness and tenacity,” he shouted.

To rapturous applause he roused the crowd with words of hope and encouragement for the nation.

It was an eventful day of high drama and debate between the political parties in Parliament culminating in National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete announcing with apparent relief: “That concludes the business of the day.” Parliament voted 177 (yes) to 198 (no) with nine abstentions to keep the president in power, despite growing and rampant corruption and unprecedented levels of unhappiness in his leadership.

The outcome of the vote was almost secondary to the spirit of unity and positivity generated by thousands of anti-Zuma supporters countrywide who had gathered together to watch MPs debate a motion of no confidence in the leadership of Zuma ahead of the secret ballot.

Thousands of people from across the political spectrum, including members of civil society and all faith groups, came together in solidarity as one nation united behind the call for the country’s captured president to step down.

Said Rabbi Goldstein: “South Africans are good people and we deserve a better president than we have… We deserve an ethical president and that’s why I’m quite confident in the future of this country because we are good people created in the image of G-d and we can do great things together because South African’s are great!”

Explaining why he was hopeful for the future, the rabbi said: “We’ve got the greatest gift that G-d can give a human being… We have the gift of freedom! We have the gift of freedom that we can come in the streets and stand next to the Parliament building and we can tell the president to go, and we can tell the members of parliament to vote with their conscience and we can come together as South Africans in freedom, and the police are protecting us because we are South African citizens and we deserve freedom!”

He ended loudly emphasising: “When you have freedom and you have great people, you can accomplish anything. And so, we have a great and glorious future ahead of us and we know that G-d will bless us. That our Father in heaven will look down upon us with mercy and will bless us because we deserve the blessing and will bless us because we are a great nation.”

The crowds chanted Viva Chief Rabbi, viva!