Gearing up for celebrity politics

What I have found quite refreshing about the Shikota movement, the new breakaway party from the ANC whose name was still not announced to the South African public at the time of writing is how they have promised to woo high-profile celebrities to join the party. Mbhazima Shilowa was kind enough to give heads up that we should prepare ourselves for more current ANC MPs and celebrities to join the breakaway party in the coming few weeks. It is a modern party after all.

One of the first celebrities to show support for the Shikota party is Hlomla Dandala. I actually saw him at the Shikota convention in Sandton. Hlomla's claim to fame goes back a couple of years ago when he played Derek Nyathi on Isidingo, an SABC 3 TV soapie I used used to enjoy about ten years ago when I still watched TV. To many of us who do not know Hlomla personally, I suspect the image that most of us have of him (myself included) is that of a successful sharp, well-to-do level-headed, and progressive black man who possesses a formidable aesthetic appeal to both black and white women.

Another high-ranking socialite who has recently thrown his weight behind the new party is Mfundi Vundla. He is the executive producer for another South African soapie that goes by the title Generations. The soapie boasts the record of being the longest running badly scripted TV show that continues to survive whilst using unskilled actors. Generations has a very huge following, for reasons I am unable to explain.I have been ridiculed so many times at drinking sessions for saying I suspect the show was sponsored by the office of the presidency (in Mbeki's days) as a systematic effort to lower the cumulative IQ of the nation.

I am finding the whole celebrity addition to politics thing very interesting and I am wondering which other high-profile celebrities will join the Shikota movement. I am also wondering if other political parties will respond by also bringing in other celebrities to their fold. Would it not be interesting to find out which celebrities would be willing to hold hands in public with Julius Malema for example? Also interesting would be to see which political party would claim Steve Hofmeyr, the ANC, FF+, DA, or UDM?. What about the scandal-ridden Khanyi Mbau or the illusive Vernon Koekemoer? Rebecca Malope for the ACDP?

Would the moral standing of a party be symbolized by the caliber of celebrities that publicly support them? Parties would probably want for distance themselves from tabloid headlines such as "Herchelle Gibbs pop-drunk at ANC gig".

If our political parties go the celebrity route, how much influence will these celebrities have in terms of attracting the electorate to a party? Time has all the answers.

Solidarity