Active citizens are the answer
TWO momentous days in 1974 (I was 16 at the time) were the precursors of what I can only describe as a rewarding yet dispiriting life.
The first of these days occurred while going to school one morning. I encountered an individual distributing pamphlets advertising the Frelimo Rally. I requested some of the pamphlets and moved to another spot to assist with the distribution. That was my first act of activism.
The second game-changer was a public meeting organised by the Human Rights Committee at a cinema in Victoria Street.
That meeting shook me to the core. The meeting exposed the violations of basic human rights of any person who dared challenge the apartheid government, and the effects on families and communities.
We were implored to contribute to the struggle in any way we could.
I took up that challenge and devoted my life to the eradication of apartheid and the defeat of the apartheid government. I had joined a glorious family of freedom fighters.
What has changed since 1974?
Well, some communities have benefited from the provision of infrastructure, many people have running water and electricity, apartheid laws have been removed, schools have become accessible to many more than in 1974, and all citizens have the right to vote and to freely participate in political activity.
“A Better Life for All” was promised by the ANC in 1994.
But the question remains, “Are the majority of our people experiencing a better life?”
The answer – a resounding NO.
Service delivery protests are quelled by the violence that characterised apartheid, and people are being killed.
All have access to schools but cannot afford an education. International literacy and numeracy assessments find us at the bottom of the pile. And politicians are enriching themselves at the expense of the fiscus. From the Office of the President down to the local and municipal levels of government, almost all government departments are second-guessing the judiciary and Chapter 9 Institutions (especially the Office of the Public Protector and the Auditor General.)
There is very strong evidence of state capture.
Poverty and hunger still prevail.
The violence perpetrated by our own against our own, displays a total absence of respect for life, and the government’s failure to be hands-on in the #FeesMustFall crisis has exacerbated this crisis, as we see increasing acts of violence, coupled with the wanton destruction of property and infrastructure.
Since the infamous ANC Polokwane conference in 2007, many of us have been shocked at the open display of disrespect by the incumbents.
Unholy alliances were formed, and thus a benign dictatorship emerged. All of society as well as longstanding activists were in limbo.
I can go on lamenting the ills that pervade society, but the bottom line is that life has not changed for the better for most South Africans.
Despite all this negativity, there remains hope – hope that we will one day soon have a caring government which places the welfare of our people at the centre.
We are fortunate that in Africa we have an example of one of the finest “doers” in Thomas Sankarra of Burkina Faso. In merely four years he achieved what many, after 60 years of independence, have not.
He achieved in the fields of education, housing, infrastructure, the environment, but most of all he had a solution for food security, while simultaneously rejecting foreign food aid, all in just 4 years. Sadly he was assassinated in 1987.
At an individual level, people need to see that real power rests with the ordinary man on the street like you and me. We can express ourselves through our political parties, if possible, or we can harness our own power to start changing our national psyche.
We can’t wait for national, provincial or local government elections to express our will. Civil society has risen to the challenge of awakening our elected representatives.
Activists in our province have formed the Active Citizens Movement (ACM). The process of attracting all sectors of society has begun.
The ACM already comprises people of the highest calibre who have been, and still are, rooted in communities, and who have never forsaken our people.
I am one of the founding members of the ACM. I believe, together with other comrades, that the only bulwark against the abuse of power is an active citizenry. We are mobilising intensely and hope to launch formally next year.
In the meanwhile, resident groupings, small business and labour are already on board. We are recruiting in all sectors, including individuals. During the next month we will launch area and sector committees. In the long term, we intend to collaborate with all other likeminded organisations so we complement efforts in mobilising citizens at a national level.
Our demands are clear – we demand a return to a moral and caring state with our people at the centre.
It feels like 1974 all over again.