The personal is political

That the Presedent has not commented on the allegations that he is engaged in 'inergenerationl sexual liaison' is no lisence to rabish him. As Sam should have known when penning his misive against Jordaan, there was no story there. The media must wipe off the egg on their faces.

I do not think competing with Dr. Jordan on intellectual basis will help us. The author might have flashed in new interesting points, but does not help South Africans understand why Dr. Jordan made such comments. To suggest HIV infections in relation to the President is equal to accusing them of having unprotected sex whilst one of them is HIV positive. Right to privacy and dignity of the President has been violated by such speculations. The author should know better: we are in a constitutionalist democracy,and persistence in what is not right should be put to an end. In an African context elders and prominent people's sexual life are not part of public discourse. What if Mr. Motlanthe's wife did not know about the relationship? Would it be fair to rip her heart apart in public like that? It is totally unconscionable. I thought South African learnt its lessson on Jacob Zuma Rape Trial. Grow South Afirca grow!

If asking about the sexual life of the person who holds a public offices in terms of who does he or she sleeps with sexually if also political can we then ask about the sexual life of the people who write these stories for the public because they are also public figures. I regard journalists and columnists as public figures because they write and comment about issues of public interests.

If this argument by Sam Sole is any to go by, is it not logical then, to know how many women Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Sam Sole have ever slept with in their lives, what their names are and to know if they still sleep with them before we know if they are fit for their positions as journalist and columninists, respectively?

--------revised version-------
It seems like, according to you, the AIDS pandemic in South Africa is caused by:
1. "Executive" sex: The government leaders having multiple sexual partners.
2. "Transactional" sex: Sex involving prostitutes or sugar daddies/mommies.
3. Intergenerational sex: Older powerful men having forced sex with young women.
Seems to me like you have a hidden moral and/or political agenda here.
Look at the CDC site (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/) for a practical guide on how to prevent the spread of AIDS and adapt it to SA. Other countries have successfully halted the spread of the disease by listening to their scientists.

Why didn't you mention the PRIMARY causes of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa? At the risk of sounding like a broken record here are the facts:
1. The South African governments negligence for the past decade to listen to the world community on how to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. Almost 10 years of neglect has allowed this disease to tighten its grip in SA. Shouldn't people in power be held accountable for this?
2. Misinformation on AIDS and condom use is unique to South Africa. Why? The total lack of education in SA on how to practically prevent AIDS. This is not surprising since leaders themselves refuse to acknowledge the scientific truth? Even Mandela's 2004 appeal for coordinated TB and HIV/AIDS prevention fell on deaf ears!

South Africans have lost the ability to appreciate that trust is dependant on honesty. Lies, deceit and corruption have become an integral part of South African moral make up (immoral make-up). It is now so bad that the right to lie, deceives, commit adultery and corruption are defended by the highest echelons of our sick society. No more excuses for immoral behaviour...just do it.

The interesting thing here is Why Pallo? Why was he selected (self-selected?) to jump to the caretaker's defence?
Interesting. He must be angling for a better position or better protection in the Zuma setup?
Hmm . . . methinks there's something behind this. Spill the beans, Pallo!

In relation to HIV/AIDS it seems to me that Sam's point is that if you have unprotected sex, whether with a school teacher (prominent person) or fellow student, you are at risk of infection with HIV. Why, then, are the response to his article so strikingly similar in their defense of the President? A suggestive answer may lie in the assertion of one of respondents who says that in the African context the private lives of "elders and prominent people" are not part of public discourse. Where is this in Africa or rather where is Africa? Remember that it is not just in regard to their private lives that African elders and prominent people have been untouchable. They have also claimed that they should be obeyed and deferred which they interpreted to mean that there is no need for political opposition to their governments? The African context is full of contradictions, and that is perhaps we always embrace only some aspects of it.

Another interesting point refers to a "total lack of education on how to prevent AIDS." South Africa may have started late in the campaign but "total lack" is a bit of a stretch. A lot has and is being done both in raising awareness and changing behavior. We must remember that the government is only one force in this war. Its failures, and they are legion, do not mean the absence of work.

Again, the point hardly has anything to do with the president or Mr Zuma. The point is to always reemphasize, when a relevant behavior comes to the public space,that having unprotected sex with anyone is risky and should not be copied. For us to make this message at this point we are, at least for now, to thank the unimpeachable private lives of our prominent people.

So, if a has-been former Springbok rugby player from yesteryear is "newsworthy" for his alleged bedroom antics, why should the current president of South Africa's sexual shenanigans be any less newsworthy?

Sole, like all journalists in the M&G will write anything as long as it is to discredit the ANC and its leadership. The M&G was exposed as sensation seekers when the young woman involved in the affair with the President admitted no such affair exist or ever existed. Pallo Jordan's argument on was solid and the majority of citizens in this country agrees with him. The media seems incapable of regulating themselves therefore it is the govt.'s duty to put measures in place to curb their excessive powers that can slander people at their will!

Very nicely done Mr Sole.

OK Mr Sole,

Bare your soul and every mark on it leaving out not one. No not one!
Of course another way of saying the same thing is cast the first stone.
As for the erudite gentleman who has clearly never told a lie, he needs to understand that nobody is worthy of any post he has, or any authority he is given. It is what he does in the position that counts.
On the evidence of the above both the erudite gentleman and Sole would make SA better by engaging their minds and shutting up or keeping their smutty minds and going away.

"The president was given the opportunity to comment on the nature of his alleged relationship with the 24-year-old -- and seemingly declined. "

Ag you still have the guts to justify it...so typical of this paper.

It think that if some people cannot handle the pressure they must get out of the kitchen .If you are a public figure your life is of public scrutiny it is not a question of whether you have a personal life or not.Most of the time the that you do in your personal life they influence your decisions in your office

Can someone post a link to the Pallo Jordan riposte to which Sole refers?