How the ANC lost its cause 14-Oct-2011 | Kagiso Pooe <http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/columnists/2011/10/14/how-the-anc-lost-its-cause?filter=all_comments> AS THE ANC approaches 100 years of existence and, more significantly, 18 years of running the country, one question looms large: "Has the post-1994 ANC been delivering on its original mandates?" [image: Image Title]<http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/columnists/2011/10/14/how-the-anc-lost-its-cause#2> VISIONARY: Dr AB Xuma
In answering this question let us move away from liberal and politically correct jargon. Let us rather understand why the ANC was founded and then explore whether the present ANC has delivered on its original mandate. In 1911 the great Dr Pixley ka Seme gave one of the reasons for founding the South African Native National Congress or what is now the African National Congress. He stated that Zulus, Tswanas, Xhosas and Sothos needed to "forget all the past differences among Africans and unite in one national organisation". This call to unite all African people under one umbrella was so that they could "re-attain" their political independence and economic wellbeing. I use the term "re-attain" because the British and subsequently Afrikaner National Party had taught the African majority that they were a nonpeople without a history or system of governance. This was shown to be utterly false by leaders such as Sol Plaatje and John Langalibalele Dube. The ANC was thus created for the Africans to begin to see themselves as having a shared destiny beyond ethnic ties and to unite for a larger goal - the return of their land and their humanity. One leader who encapsulated this early ANC vision was Dr AB Xuma, who revived a floundering ANC in the 1940s. Though much maligned he fully understood the ANC's original mandate of 1912, this much is evident in one of his greatest speeches that can be argued to stem from his understanding of the mandate of 1912. He stated: "We Africans have all the attributes of great people, but we don't recognise our own potentialities and we have not yet realised that our strength and even our salvation and freedom lie in ourselves." And, now? The African and black persons socioeconomic narrative is remarkably different in the year 2011 compared to the period of 1852 (colonialism beginnings) or 1948 (introduction of apartheid), no one can deny this. The ANC, by utilising tools like RDP houses, grants, BBBEE has tried to undo some of the damage caused by colonialism and apartheid. However, when one judges it in accordance with its original mandate, the ANC is failing. These failings are shown in the unchanged ownership and access to the land, poor utilisation of state resources, white domination of business and poor education system. The ANC from its inception has been prone to making crucial mistakes when wanting freedom for the African majority; expecting goodwill from its foes. It began when Dube and his leadership went to Britain to "ask" for change, instead of fighting for it. This mistake of "seeking compromise" cost Xuma his presidency; as an Anton Lembede inspired and led youth league understood correctly how dangerous the National Party's apartheid policy was going to affect the African majority. Yet it seems the same youth league leaders that stood alongside Lembede failed to learn from him and repeated the same mistakes as previous ANC leaders of old, by taking part and leading Codesa. This has culminated in what one calls "Post-Mandelarisation", where leading authorities that propped up apartheid, currently live and die better off than many African, black and white anti-apartheid freedom fighters. Had the ANC not shirked its responsibility they would have followed the precedence of the Jewish nation, who ensured that they received economic and political justice. Instead, 17 years after the 1994 elections, the African majority now face the indignity of having to bear jibes such as "BEE is reverse racism", "we should just get over apartheid" and the latest nonsensical statement "we are the born-frees". By institutionalising and celebrating Codesa as some "miracle", the ANC has cheapened the worth of the African person and lifted off all reasonableness from those who directly and indirectly supported apartheid. With the exception of a few policies from the former president Thabo Mbeki's terms as president and President Jacob Zuma's New Growth Path and the establishment of the National Planning Commission, the ANC has struggled to construct and implement a concise and coherent vision for South Africa. Where the early ANC leaders' vision was the attainment and betterment of the African majority, the post 1994 ANC seems unable to go beyond the election realm. Currently the ANC has been lazy or unable to develop a new direction for South Africa. - Pooe works for the Gauteng legislature. He writes in his personal capacity - - [image: Image Title]<http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/columnists/2011/10/14/how-the-anc-lost-its-cause#3> PIONEER: John Langa Dube - - [image: Image Title]<http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/columnists/2011/10/14/how-the-anc-lost-its-cause#4> PATHFINDER: Sol Plaatje [image: Image Title]<http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/columnists/2011/10/14/how-the-anc-lost-its-cause#leaf> FOUNDING FATHER: Dr Pixley ka Seme
_______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/ugandanet@kym.net/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. ---------------------------------------
