Does Carl Niehaus lay bare the heart of South African politics ?

Carl Niehaus' woes is simply the tip of the hippo's ears. It has to be granted to him that he is willing to fall into his sword. South African politics need men who are willing to own up. This saga however does point to something deeper, something we all suspect, yet didn't wanted to admit to: the insidiousness of greed that fuels our comrades.

We may have sympathy for the liberation movement's spin doctor, this could happen to us all. It even happen to high profile struggle icons, to charismatic megachurch celebrities. The point is that South African success stories, closely follow the trail of big spending, lavish lifestyles, wife-swopping, etc. Our 'New South African' lifestyle need to be reflected in all aspects of our lives. Somewhere there is also a Christian tint, they may have been theologians, preachers, men of God, at some point. In the mean time, greed entered and wreaked havoc on all the wonderful commitments they had. Its painful to see this, but again: let's not be fooled to think that we are not at risk.

These stories are timely reminders of the values of the gospel, that Jesus so eloquently espoused and embodied. It's a timely reminder that we should not put our trust in princes.. they are mere humans.