Politieke Kaarte op die Tafel: Parlementêre Herinneringe by Japie Basson

Review by Paul Murray

Politika
Kaapstad 2006
PO Box 32156
Camps Bay 8040
or fax (021) 423 3049

Politieke Kaarte op die Tafel: Parlementêre Herinneringe is the second book in a trilogy by seasoned politician Japie Basson. The first is Deel 1, entitled Raam en Rigting in die Politiek en die Storie van Apartheid, published by the same house in 2004. It is an account of Basson’s career as a liberal politician, spanning fifty years. Its value is huge, since it affords the reader the opportunity of gaining rare insight into the political scene of the time, with firsthand information about leading playmaking politicians such as General JBM Hertzog, General JC Smuts, Dr DF Malan, Dr HF Verwoerd and Advocate BJ Vorster. The historical reality of the time, as apartheid was unfolding in the dark period of our history, has been vividly captured by Basson’s descriptive yet easy-reading prose, making the book a valuable repository and archive for not only the student of South African political history, but also the reader at large. Although entrenched in South African politics well before the advent of the National Party’s policy of apartheid, Basson’s odium for the apartheid ideology set him on an unswerving course, whereby he religiously stuck to his principled leadership as a politician, gaining him the respect as – to quote Amanda Botha – “’n voorloper, ’n man wat beskryf is dat hy sy tyd vooruit was”.

The sequel to Deel 1, Politieke Kaarte op die Tafel: Parlementêre Herinneringe, represents the memoirs of an active politician and the engagement within the political situation in South Africa for half a century. Not only does the political history of South Africa during the twenties to the seventies come alive for the reader, but Basson’s active involvement in the politics in Namibia (then South-West Africa) adds an important dimension to the publication. Throughout the text, Basson uses carefully selected quotations to enhance his own thoughts. The choice of Paulo Coelho’s words, “The past contains the answers to the future”, places Basson’s work in a broader perspective on the way historical phenomena play themselves out, as do the specifically chosen words of Alice Walker: “Each writer writes the missing parts to the other writer’s story. And the whole story is what I am after.” These thoughts underscore Basson’s weltanschauung, the thoughts of a caring, gentle and thoughtful soul.

Basson’s views on crossing the political floor are dealt with in chapter 2 of the book. Political expediency and utility must surely be the sign of a well-groomed politician, for which Basson quotes Churchill himself as a suitable example. The international statesman’s words, “Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others change their principles for the sake of their party”, certainly get the reader’s thoughts going on this matter.

Basson’s use of quotations enriches the text, as does the use of anecdotes. Anecdotes in a publication such as this keep reading interest high. That inimitable politician, Sir Winston Churchill, once again serves as a suitable example: he was elected as a Conservative, crossed to the Liberals, only to desert that party later. After he lost his seat in Manchester the journalists reporting at the time cleverly asked the question: “What is the use of a WC without a seat?” Churchill’s response in time was that his life was a “roving commission”. He further admitted, “I have a tendency against which I should, perhaps, be on my guard, to swim against the stream.” By his admission, when he changed parties, “the changes have been made only to suit unchanging views”. Basson also discusses the concept of political expediency further, captured so aptly in the words of Dr Van Zyl Slabbert, who was commenting on the situation in this regard: “The tradition in white politics was one of ‘re-orientation and new formations’ rather than gradual success at the poll.” Basson’s political career has been characterised by his sharp insight into the political situation which was always accompanied by a strong sense of opportunism, hence his strong survival in politics for fifty years. Amanda Botha has said of him in this regard: “Japie Basson was lid van verskeie politieke partye, maar het deurgaans dieselfde padkaart voor hom oopgevou gehou.” The title of the book under review, Politieke Kaarte op die Tafel, bears testimony to Basson’s political action and the important role he played in South African politics.

Japie Basson’s at-the-coal-face experiences recounted so openly and marvellously in his book make reading – what can sometimes be quite dry reading when it comes to politics – come vividly alive. His style of carefully describing, yet interspersing the text with interesting accounts, details and anecdotes, maintains a high level of interest for the reader, even for the second language reader! It might take a little longer but it is worth every word. There are thirty-five chapters in the book, all quite short, between two and six pages each. There are a number of photographs principally in black and white but also a few in colour, and there are a number of political cartoons as well. These serve as a suitable accompaniment to the text, of which the common thread is always, “I tried, I stood”, as politicians are reminded by the Canadian leader, John Diefenbaker. The text is suitably indexed, which enables the student of South African politics to consult the book in the spirit of its user-friendliness. Copious footnotes are placed at the end of each chapter, rather than at the end of the text.

There are rare gems in the book, especially the view of Smuts as “’n soeker onder die soekers”. Basson describes Smuts’s viewpoint on his theory of holism as not “’n geoefende uitlegger van die filosofie” or a theory that he thinks of as acquired through “abstrakte bespiegelinge” but rather through “lewenservaring”. Smuts’s political card which he played was probably never played strongly enough, namely that in societies the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This viewpoint goes beyond political expediency, because it calls into question the values of society and whether societies are prepared to work for the summum bonum, the highest good. In his own way, Basson dedicated a lifetime of work to serve others from the political platforms of the time, as he has shown in the two publications that have appeared. We now await the third, with the title Steeds op die Parlementêre Kolfblad, currently being prepared, which will complete the trilogy of what will be an invaluable contribution to the South African political historiography, from an astute politician who served with pride and passion.

In the meantime, for Politieke Kaarte op die Tafel: Parlementêre Herinneringe, the second in the trilogy, the words of Churchill are apt, quoted by Basson in his closing chapter entitled “Tot Weersiens”:

Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him about to the public.

LitNet: 14 July 2006

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