THE PAN AFRICANIST CONGRESS OF AZANIA
SOBUKWE MEMORIAL LECTURE
AN INPUT BY THE AFRICANIST DUDU DERRICK BILA (APLA MILITARY VETERAN OF THE
LIBERATION STRUGGLE)
Mister program director, the honourable President of the Pan Africanist
Congress of Azania (Mr. Letlapa Mphahlele), the former president of the PAC of
Azania (Bishop Mmutlanyana Stanley Mogoba), senior members of the PAC of
Azania, distinguished guests, members of the PAC of Azania, ladies and
gentlemen, I greet you all. Izwelethu!! I-Africa
Mister program director, beloved sons and daughters of Africa, we are today
gathered together on a great occasion: THE SOBUKWE MEMORIAL LECTURE. We are
meeting at a time when the global economic downturn has had adverse effects on
the economies of the countries of the world, African states included. Indeed we
are meeting at a time when global warming is aggravating this unfavourable
economic climate in the entire world, whilst, the results of Copenhagen indaba
are not quite encouraging. During such trying times for Africa and the world as
a whole, nothing could have been more appreciating than to hold this occasion,
in honour of the man of the calibre of Robert Managliso Sobukwe; a world class
political scientist, who was an asset for Africa and the world as a whole. In
so far as Africa is concerned, he is one of the African leaders who prescribed
the idea of Pan Africanism as a solution to the problems facing the African
continent and the African
people. To the world, he called upon the nations of the world to discover the
shortest distance between man and man, as the honest way to ensure world peace.
In his inaugural address at the official launching of the Pan Africanist
Congress, he preached to the world to accept the idea of the existence of only
one race: The human race.
He was eloquent on the fact that the PAC of Azania does not recognize any of
the so called inescapable fundamental differences amongst members of the even
the three main branches of the human race: the Caucasoids, Mongoloids and
Afrinoids. He did not subscribe to the theory that there are inherent mental,
emotional and psychological differences among members of the different branches
of the human race. He contended the granting of the “rights” on the basis of
the ethnological origin was actually the entrenching of sectional arrogance of
the contempt for human worth and disregarded for human dignity. He maintained
that these were mere efforts to perpetuate the monster of white domination,
which comfortably tests on the three pillars of;
Merciless political oppression of the African people by the colonists and
imperialists
Ruthless economic exploitation of the African people by the colonialists and
imperialist and
Inhuman social degradation of the African people by colonialist and imperialists
Unfortunately, his warning both to the African leaders and the world leaders
fell on deaf ears. Consequently, in Africa, the land of plenty, we have endless
tribal and sectional wars; and in the world arena we are stuck by the absence
of the world peace.
Mister program director, one of the greatest political scientists the world has
ever known and a protagonist of Pan Africanism once said, and I quote “Here is
a tree rooted in African soil, nourished with waters from rivers of Africa.
Come and sit with us under its shade and become with us, the leaves of the same
branches and branches of the same tree.” I close the quote. These words are the
brainchild of Prof Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, the founding president of the Pan
Africanist Congress of Azania. From this quotation, it is quite evident that,
the tree is not alien tree but an indigenous one. In this tree we see life,
harmony, dynamism and benefit.
As we continue drinking from this well of knowledge, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe
also said and I quote “The struggle in South Africa is part of the greater
struggle throughout the continent for the restoration to the African people of
the effective control of this land. The ultimate goal of our struggle
therefore, is the formation of the United States of Africa” I close quote
Mister program director, beloved sons and daughters of Africa, as I proceed
with the unfolding of this topic, it will be evident that the above two
quotations neatly sum up the ideology of Pan Africanism.
Mister program director, we live in a world and during times of power and power
politics. In a world such as this, there is absolutely no room and no
meaningful or bright future for small splinter states. This is the world of the
survival of the fittest. Our history serves as a testimony to this stubborn
fact. One only has to refer to the past historical events, especially the
petition of Africa, when mother Africa was ruthlessly sliced like a lemon by
the merciless imperialists and colonialists. Those political vultures share
their spoils. Countries which participated shamelessly in robbing the African
people of their land included (inter alia) Britain, Germany, France, Spain and
Portugal. This answered the division of the African people, and created a
situation conducive to the successful implementation of the atrocious policy of
DIVIDE AND RULE.
To dismantle this horrifying situation in which the African people find
themselves, it is essential to find a galvanizing agent, a cementing force that
seeks to unite the African people, forming them into a giant nation, capable of
occupying its rightful place in the community of nations with pride and
dignity. This galvanizing agent, this cementing force, this unifying factor is
Pan Africanism. Pan Africanism thus comes as a natural need and desire of the
children of Africa at home and abroad to achieve, accomplish and maintain the
existence and survival of Africa together. Pan Africanism encourages and
enables people of African descends wherever they are to know themselves as
Africans and to identify themselves as Africans, and hence to promote and
project African personality as a tag by means of which the African people may
be identified and distinguished from other peoples of the world. It arms the
Africans at home and abroad to pin-point what is bad
for Africa and be able to destroy it together.
Pan Africanism is an instinctive innate love for Africa. It is not a reaction
to the enemies of Africa, but rather the natural need and desire to unite the
children of Africa for the preservation of Africa. Pan Africanism is not
retaliation against slavery, colonialism, imperialism, capitalism or against
any enemy of Africa. These negative conditions only put Pan Africanism on gear.
It is the awakening of the children of Africa to the realization of the
indubitable fact that Africa is their own land and that they should
unreservedly accept the responsibility of taking particular care of Africa;
this massive land that stretches from Cape to Cairo, Morrocco to Madagascar.
Through Pan Africanism, we look forward with confidence towards the opening of
the glittering gates of the United States of Africa with one central government
which will bring about non-racial order, which will be democratic in form,
socialist in content and democratic in purpose.
Mister program director, allow me at this stage to single out one of the
component part of Pan Africanism: African Nationalism. It is this component
part which enables Pan Africanism to bring together all people of African
descent. The very first aim of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania is “to
rally and unite the African people under the banner of African Nationalism,
forming them into a formidable force capable of occupying its rightful place in
the community of nations, with pride and dignity.” It is therefore, this
component part that serves as a galvanizing agent, a cementing force that seeks
to unite the African people into a formidable nation.
When during his visit to the African continent Mac Millan spoke about THE WIND
OF CHANGE. He was referring to the spirit of African Nationalism. The
white-owned press took up this wind of change enthusiastically. Yet Prof Robert
Mangaliso Sobukwe had long spoken and warned about African Nationalism, and the
same press turned deaf ears towards this call. He said, and I quote “like an
avalanche force, the spirit of African Nationalism is sweeping through the
entire continent of Africa, moving from Cape to Cairo, Morocco to Madagascar.”
Mister program director, you will agree with that, if the African people could
have taken heed of this call for unity, we would not be sitting with the horror
of xenophobic attacks in Africa. So, beloved sons and daughters of Africa, let
us take particular note of what the PAC of Azania has been preaching since the
days of Sobukwe; that “factionalism is the deadliest enemy to solidarity
amongst the African people” with this note, allow me to end my input.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU
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