The passing of one of the revered
icons in the liberation struggle closes yet another chapter in the story of our
democracy. Ahmed Kathrada, like Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Albert Lithuli and
others will forever be remembered for their lifetime contributions in the quest
for the freedom of the South African people from a vile, racist regime. Rarely
in a lifetime would one see the selfless acts of individuals so passionate
about an ideology that they were prepared to lay down their lives for what they
believed in.
As ordinary South Africans, we
could never appreciate or comprehend the sacrifices they have made throughout
their lives so that we could be truly free. The desecrating of family homes, separation of family members, incarceration of whole families, the exile and banishment of
close families and friends. Not to mention the hounding and terrorizing, from the Apartheid State
Security, of those left behind to keep the revolution alive.
Twenty-three years into democracy
we have all but forgotten what these legends of revolution had to endure so that
ours and our descendant’s futures are free from oppression and prejudice. We go
about our daily lives and excite ourselves in planning the future and success
of our loved ones. We are carefully focused on ourselves and our environment
and seldom give a thought for those in society who have still to benefit from
the democracy so hard fought for by individuals like Ahmed Kathrada.
Twenty-three years into democracy, 17 million South Africans still live off Social
Grants, courtesy of the Government. Twenty-three years into democracy, almost
half of the employable people are unemployed and live off U.I.F benefits, courtesy
of the government. Twenty-three years into democracy, service delivery is
sorely lacking in rural areas across South Africa, with no running water, no
electricity, deteriorating infrastructure, etc. Twenty-three years into
democracy we face the looming prospect of being economically isolated from the
rest of the world, courtesy of Global Rating Agencies.
Given the state of affairs in our
country, leadership is non-existent, and those in power have very little or no
sense of accountability or responsibility to their oath of office. Their focus
and energies are expended predominantly on nefarious, selfish needs, which are contrary
to the values and principles espoused by our icons of the liberation struggle. Corruption,
theft, fraud is the order of the day, with no regard for the plight of the
people of South Africa. Questionable business deals with dodgy businessmen has
taken precedent as Government’s sole priority. Respect for a Constitution, that
has been a shining example to societies around the world has reached a
new low by the so-called leaders of our free society.
For the lack of a more decent
description, the only words that could describe the state
of our country and our leadership, is disgusting, despicable and shamefully
disgraceful. To think that so many lives were sacrificed for a better South African
Society; so many families desecrated and torn apart, so many communities
trampled underfoot by the Apartheid State; all that hard work that was achieved
over a lifetime, only to be undone by unscrupulous, self-serving, corrupt
fraudsters who have no respect for a 100-year old revolutionary movement, or their fellow South Africans they are supposed to be serving.
We, as patriotic South Africans
cannot afford to sit idly by and watch how this hard fought for democracy gets pummeled and trampled into the ground by the fraudsters who we call leaders.
We have a duty and a responsibility to acknowledge and show our appreciation of
what the Liberation struggle had achieved, through the sacrifices by individuals
like Ahmed Kathrada. We must fight, through whatever means we can, to take back
our freedoms and our democracy from those bent on destroying it. Anything less
than explicit action from us, the 55 million South Africans, would render the
hard work of the Liberation Struggle meaningless and all those lives
sacrificed, futile. Let the destiny of this “beacon of hope” for so many around
the world, lie in the hands of the people of South Africa who have an
obligation to say:
“Yes, we can…..and so we should”!
