Still time for Cope policies
by
2008-11-24 13:45
Mphatjie Monareng, News24 User
Addressing a meeting of the tribes and their chiefs on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfointein, Pixley Isaka Seme noted, amongst other things: "We have discovered that in the land of their birth, Africans are treated as hewers of wood and drawers of water."
Having observed the exclusion of black people from the country's political and economic affairs, Seme said the purpose of the meeting was "to devise ways and means of forming our national union for the purpose of creating national unity and defending our rights and privileges."
The meeting resolved to establish an organisation called the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), which evolved over the years into what we now know as the African National Congress (ANC).
I highlight this historical information to indicate the fact that you do not need to have policies and ideologies to form a political party. You need two things: firstly, determination and courage to rally others in opposing a situation or regime; and, secondly, a vision for a better future.
Today, we see leaders of the ANC (which is a far cry from the ANC envisioned by Seme) criticising the breakaway Congress of the People (COPE) for not having alternative policies when the COPE is not even launched officially as yet.
The new party is only being launched on 16 December - significantly, also in Bloemfontein. Led by their controversial president, Jacob Zuma, ANC campaigners (echoed by some analysts and other interested observers) argue that, because the yet-to-be-launched COPE does not yet have policies, it is therefore little more than the coming together of angry elitist losers.
Whilst it is important that COPE develops policies that distinguish it from other political parties, it is not fair to expect its leaders, such as Mosiuoa Lekota, Mbhazima Shilowa and Mluleki George, to have policies when they still have not officially launched their party. In the same way that Seme wanted to establish a national union "for the purpose of creating national unity and defending (black people's) rights and privileges", the leaders of the COPE have decided to rally South Africans in defence of the constitution of the republic and the rule of law.
The present-day ANC, in government over the past 14 years, has become complacent and is now steadily becoming a local version of Zimabbwe's Zanu-PF under Robert Mugabe. Just like Zanu-PF, the ANC is intolerant to opposition, has little regard for the rule of law and is determined to remain in office "until Jesus Christ come back", as Jacob Zuma likes to remind the nation.
The sad irony is that post-apartheid South Africa is being dragged away from a democratic constitution by the same ANC that fought so hard for non-racism, non-sexism and a democratic and prosperous country.
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