Amnesty boss’s warning to SA: watch out!
‘The young have reached their limit’
FORMER Chatsworth resident Kumi Naidoo starts his new job as secretary-general of London-based Amnesty International today, leaving a strong message for those in power in South Africa.
“Watch out! Remember years ago Archbishop Desmond Tutu said ‘watch out’ to Jacob Zuma and his leadership. I will say to our leaders now, watch out. The young have reached their limit.
“They have waited patiently for democracy to deliver and democracy is not delivered to majority of the people.
“Do not underestimate the anger of people that have waited far too long for far too little. They are not asking for a Mercedes-Benz, they are asking for sanitation and water,” he said.
“The basics is what is being asked for. And it is a crime that the ANC has not been able to deliver basics.”
Naidoo was honoured by the Revolution Motorcycle Club with the Revolution Achievement Award, at the Chatsworth Youth Centre at the weekend.
The award is handed annually to inspirational individuals in the community.
The club’s president, Clive Pillay, said they had chosen to honour Naidoo because he was a global figure and a renowned community activist.
“He is known as Kumi Naidoo from Chatsworth, but he leads many nations. He has been an influencer around the world and hanging from an oil rig has certainly caught the world’s attention,” he said of Naidoo’s days as head of the global environmental group Greenpeace. “This award has been long coming.”
Naidoo said he was honoured by the award and urged people to do more towards preventing or reducing climate change.
“The planet is fine, it does not need saving. If you continue to use gas instead of the alternates eventually we won’t be able to grow food because the soil will be hazardous and we would run out of water resources and become extinct.
“The planet will still be here. If you value your children show that you value their future as well.”
Naidoo said the sacrifices that needed to be made were not the same as in the 1980s.
“Growing up in the 1980s, once you were involved you never thought you would survive. You were either killed, in prison or exiled. We are not asking you to make those sacrifices, rather to be cautious and do the little things.
“I always say we need to recognise that our generation has run out of new ideas and we need to make space for the younger generation.
“Young people are the leaders of tomorrow and they know they will pay the price. They have fresh lenses and can look at situations in a different way because they have not been contaminated by bad experiences.”
While Naidoo had moved to London for his new role, he told the crowd he doubted he would spend much time there.
“I will be on call 24/7. I will be travelling to places like Syria, Myanmar and Palestine. I will not only be secretary-general, but also manager, fund-raiser and campaigner amongst others and although, I won’t really have a life, it is a privilege to contribute.”
Naidoo again encouraged South Africans to be vigilant of government officials.
“Look at Marikana, the ANC government mowed down mine workers. Today, two-and-a-half to three years later, not one family has been compensated.
“The country is in a bad state, the transition that we had at a political level is not a solution, but a rebalance of things and I would urge you to be vigilant and not believe that President Ramaphosa and the current leadership can deliver – they might want to, but there are some forces that are opposed to that.
“Look at the RDP houses of the current leadership, they are worse than what the apartheid regime built for our people.”