Meer would be proud of those who speak out today
In PART 2 of our ongoing series on Struggle heroes and heroines, we feature the thoughts and observations of Struggle activist, writer, sociologist and academic Professor Fatima Meer. Veteran journalist, SUBRY GOVENDER spoke to Meer in 2008 on her 80th birthday. Meer passed away in March 2010 at the age of 82. She would have turned 89 on August 12. In PART 1, Meer spoke about her disenchantment with the failure of the democratic government to uplift the lives of the poor and marginalised and the lack of committed leadership among the new crop of leaders. This week, Govender writes on Meer’s disillusionment at the lack of progressive leadership within the Indian-origin community after the birth of our new nonracial democracy in 1994.
IN HER candid and no-holdsbarred interview, Professor Fatima Meer spoke to me about the lack of progressive leadership among people of Indian-origin.
She said she was concerned that the ANC needed to change its strategies to garner the support of a people, who once worked closely with the ANC and with organisations such as the United Democratic Front in the 1980s and early 1990s.
This was her view: “You see the Indians had a very strong organisation in the Natal Indian Congress and I wrote to Mr Mbeki long, long ago that it had been a tragedy that the ANC had asked the NIC to be disbanded. It was a tragedy because it was an organisation founded by Mahatma Gandhi in the last century. It was an organisation that stood by the ANC always.
“Now the ANC had made the biggest mistake. I had pointed out to Mr Mbeki, by saying to the Indians you don’t need an Indian organisation, you can belong to the ANC.
“Politically, the ANC was fine and totally acceptable but to organise the Indian people, the Indian people needed an organisation.”
Meer was of the view that the ANC had committed a major mistake and a disservice to the people by forcing the disbanding of the NIC and thereafter getting into bed with the leaders of the former tricameral institutions.
“I consider that to be disgraceful and disloyal to former patriots and to former partners in the revolution. The ANC deluded itself into thinking that these people represented the Indian people and that it would have the Indian vote and the Indian support through these elements. “That was a mistake made by no less a person than Nelson Mandela and then it was continued thereafter. That is what I pointed out to Mbeki many years ago soon after he took over the leadership.”
What was her answer for strengthening the support base of the ANC within people of Indian-origin?
“I would prefer we resurrect our roots, our history and we revive the Indian Congress. The ANC must recognise the support the Indian Congress gave in the time of revolution and that today too, in the time of government, this support should continue.
“It should deal with progressive forces, who have principles and programmes akin to the ANC, instead of going around piece meal, picking up people who have money.”
Although Meer’s call at that time, for the revival of the Natal Indian Congress and the South African Indian Congress, was discussed in certain progressive quarters, her suggestion was dismissed by other elements. However, a number of former anti-apartheid leaders have discussed alternative strategies to garner the support of the people for the ANC, instead of the people moving to other reactionary political movements.
Meer, who passed on almost two years after the interview on March 12, 2010, was a leader who was not afraid to speak her mind on socio-economic and political issues affecting the people.
A publication she edited and published in 1989 was the 1985 Treason Trial that the former apartheid regime instituted against 16 top political leaders of the NIC and the UDF at the height of the struggles in the mid-1980s.
Meer, with the assistance of a number of researchers, chronicled the lives of the leaders – Mewa Ramgobin, George Sewpersadh, MJ Naidoo, Essop Jassat, Aubrey Mokoena, Curtis Nkondo, Archie Gumede, Devadas Paul David, Albertina Sisulu, Frank Chicane, Ebrahim Salojee, Thozamile Gqweta, Sam Kikine, Isaac Ngcobo and Ismail Mahomed, who was the defence lawyer in the case.
Despite her disillusionment during the 15th year of our freedom, Meer was still confident about the future.
“I am hopeful because I think our people are aware of this and they will, just as our people won liberation for the country and established democracy, in the same way resurrect all the promises made to ourselves. So my hope is in the people’s capacity and strength and the fact that the people hold values that the leaders may have somehow forsaken and forgotten.”
Meer’s sentiments are becoming a reality as many leaders within the ANC, former veterans and stalwarts, non-government organisations, religious organisations and civil society groups have come out bravely and openly to speak out against allegations of fraud and corruption.