In 1994 we, the people of South Africa – after a long period of struggle against an unjust, oppressive and cruel Apartheid which resulted in around 30 000 people who opposing the evil system being killed and hundreds of thousands more being displaced – voted for a new dispensation and consequently put the ANC in charge of our new and better South Africa.
The perpetrators and those who were deemed to be complicit or supportive of Apartheid and its evils were expected to apologise and walk around with bowed heads, considered not moral enough to look normal human beings in the eye. Even those claiming to be innocent had to, and still have to, slunk around like a scolded puppies.
Some took the guilt thing so seriously they resorted to the washing of feet to seek absolution. Others showed submission by denying – yes, denialism existed even then – ever supporting the evil system and to justify absolution they embrace the new masters by disclosing imaginary suffering and recruiting converts willing to testify to eager audiences their evil intent at the time, not that they ever had anything remotely assembling evil or intent, but only because it is in or cool.
Fifteen years later we sit with a situation where the ruling party has caused the deaths, through gross negligence and disregard, of over three hundred thousand people. The ANC government, under the leadership of Thabo Mbeki and his trusted lieutenant Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, and with the full support of cabinet and the NEC, committed genocide that makes the Apartheid look like a walk in the park.
After years of denialism the ANC has now decided to dump the responsibility on the shoulders of Mbeki in the same manner as many Nationalists passed Apartheid off as an abomination created a perpetuated by a few mad leaders.
The ANC today refuse to acknowledge their collective accountability; they seem so enamoured by the benefits they derive from power they continue to deny that they could have changed the course of history by tackling the biggest ever enemy of the people of this country, HIV/Aids, head on.
Today ANC leaders accept Mbeki made a mistake, but nothing so bad as to justify retribution. Leaders of the time, strong men of today, people who have proved their power over Mbeki by recalling him for being divisive, could not change his actions with regards to his HIV/Aids denialism. Does this mean Alliance unity is more important than the lives of millions of HIV/Aids sufferers?
During a discussion of the issue, Dr Goqwana, Chairman of Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, stated that as a loyal ANC cadre he does not feel ashamed or embarrassed. He said he had his own ideas with regards to the HIV/Aids pandemic but taking the party line was more important; his party conscience would never allow his moral conscience to determine his actions. He acknowledged there actions was not as a result of fear for Mbeki but could not offer a reasonable explanation for their inexplicable lack of action.
In the same way in which it is expected for every white person, who did not violently oppose the National Party government, to carry his/her loads of shame and guilt, so should every person who voted for the ANC in the last three elections carry their guilt for the HIV/Aids is genocide.
I’m afraid this may mean some, like Kortbroek van Schalkwyk, will carry a double load of guilt. They were complicit in the Apartheid atrocities and the HIV/Aids genocide.
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