The Third Term
Sanco's proposal to request the constitution to allow Mbeki is third term is a waste of time, and his highly regrettable. Mbeki himself does not support this amendment, and it would be dire for South Africa to follow this route. Lifetime presidents have been the bane of Africa's political past, and I'm a firm believer in the proverb "absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Sanco's president, Mlungisi Hlongwane, is a close ally of Mbeki, but I cannot see this as an initiative being pushed from Mbeki's side. I think this is a proposal from a group desperate to see South Africa's strong growth continue, but it should not come at the expense of the constitution. The South African constitution is still in its nascent stages, and it needs all the support it can get. As soon as we start changing major pieces like the presidential terms, we chip away at its strength and begin to turn it into a document that can markedly change at the whim of those in power. As can be seen with our Northern neighbours, this is never a good thing.