Anc Today Voice of the African National Congress
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ANC TODAY VOICE OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS 1–7 November 2019 Conversations with the President THE TASK OF RENEWAL IS FAR FROM COMPLETE EXCERPTS FROM THE LECTURE BY ANC PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOROGORO CONFERENCE HELD ON 27 OCTOBER 2019 AT NALEDI HALL SOWETO HIS YEAR, we commemorate the the Morogoro Conference and the contri- meaning and context to our current expe- 50th anniversary of the ANC’s bution that he made to its success. rience. National Consultative Confer- ence held in Morogoro, Tanzania We do so also to acknowledge the un- The history of our movement allows us Tin 1969, an event that will forever stand matched contribution that OR Tambo to interrogate the forces impacting upon out as a turning point in our struggle for made to the unity, strength and integrity the collective lived reality, empowering freedom. of the ANC during its darkest and most us to be effective agents in moulding the trying times. events of tomorrow. It gives us a tool to We have chosen to mark this occasion critically examine the tapestries woven by We recall these pivotal events in our past on the day that we celebrate the birth of the threads of time. so that we may better understand the one of the most remarkable leaders of our challenges and opportunities of the pres- Today as we reflect on OR Tambo’s life, people, Isithwalandwe/ Seaparankoe Oli- ent, and so that we may work together to we desire to follow in his footsteps. ver Reginald Tambo. achieve a better future. It was at Morogoro that the strength of his We do so to recognise the leading and Reflecting on a historical event like the character and the quality of his leadership exceptional role that OR Tambo played in Morogoro Conference enables us to give were most severely tested. Dear Mr President FIGHT, LEARN, A LIBRARY OF RENEWAL: The Struggle is On 5 PRODUCE: THE BOOKS OF BRIAN and The Festival of CHANGE THE GAME AND SONIA BUNTING Ideas must Continue NOT THE WOMEN 7 9 WALKING IN THE 2 ANC Today CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT To those who may have doubted, They also heightened dissatis- Morogoro confirmed that, more faction among MK combatants at than anything else, Oliver Tambo the conditions in the camps and was a unifier. grievances about the perceived attitudes of some within the ANC He understood that nothing of leadership. value could be achieved unless we were united in our efforts. The depth of dissent within the ranks was evident in a document Even during periods of great dan- produced by Chris Hani and six ger and great difficulty, when it other members of Umkhonto we seemed that things were falling Sizwe that became known as the apart and the centre would not ‘Hani Memorandum’. hold, President OR worked tire- lessly to ensure that the move- It began: ment and the members of the “The ANC in Exile is in a deep cri- ANC remained united and fo- sis as a result of which a rot has cused. set in. From informal discussions with the revolutionary members Oliver Tambo was also a builder. of MK, we have inferred that they He not only built our liberation movement have lost all confidence in the ANC but also built alliances and forged partner- leadership abroad. This they say openly ships. Of course in all this he worked with To those who may have and in fact show it. other comrades, but there is no doubt that ‘‘ “Such a situation is very serious and in doubted, Morogoro he was the Master Builder. fact a revolutionary movement has to sit For three decades he travelled the globe, confirmed that, more down and analyse such a prevailing state meeting heads of state, union leaders, of affairs.” than anything else, activists, business people, cultural work- While there were some within the move- ers, celebrities, community leaders, rev- ‘ Oliver Tambo‘ ment that wanted to take harsh action olutionaries - mobilizing the whole world against those who held such views, lead- against a racist and murderous state. was a unifier. ers such as OR Tambo recognised the He ignited in all he met and engaged with need for the movement to confront these a shared determination to fight for the challenges. rights and freedoms of all people. OR was particularly disturbed by the The ANC struggled to adapt to these fun- He rallied the world behind a shared vi- memorandum because it was a reflection damentally changed conditions, where of the low morale that was clearly devel- sion of a different society and a different established forms of organising were dis- world. oping in the camps. The movement clear- rupted, activists were dispersed across ly needed a shakeup – so much evidence Oliver Tambo was a person of great hu- the continent and the world and resourc- of disappointment, anger and division had mility and selflessness. es were scarce. been expressed. In the collective leader- ship were individuals who had behaved He put the needs of the people above his The adoption of armed struggle and the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 in ways that were not in keeping with the own, to the detriment of his career, his ethos of the ANC. He asked himself many family life and, ultimately, his health. established a new avenue of resistance and gave great hope to the oppressed questions such as how was one meant to restructure the movement and construc- The Morogoro Conference took place at a masses in South Africa. tively assess its progress and challeng- time of great distress within the liberation es. He went on to hold discussions with movement. But the conditions under which armed struggle was adopted meant that the re- several comrades about the situation Following the Sharpeville Massacre of lationship between political struggle and the movement faced. His conversations 1960 and the subsequent banning of military action was not well defined. went beyond the paid-up membership to the ANC, PAC and other organisations, include discussions with the Congress al- South Africa entered a period of brutal The Wankie and Sipolilo campaigns – liance partners. repression. which saw the first direct confrontation between MK guerillas and the racist forc- OR used his customary lateral approach The leaders of the movement were ar- es of the then Rhodesia – demonstrated to view this setback as a window of op- rested, driven into exile or forced under- the great challenges of infiltrating fighters portunity. Following intelligent listening ground. back into South Africa. and groundwork, he felt that it was neces- WALKING IN THE 3 ANC Today CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT sary to call for a consultative conference Morogoro produced the first ANC Strate- coherence of the ANC, but also on the to address the problems raised within the gy and Tactics document, which outlined course of the struggle for the next two movement. the objectives, key tasks and methods of decades. struggle of the movement. The purpose of the conference would be The legacy of Morogoro stretches into the to redefine or re-examine the role of the It enabled free discussion and debate at present. After a period of organisational movement in relation to the internal struc- the deepest level. Nothing was left un- malaise, dissent and disunity, the ANC tures and its strategy and tactics in deal- said. Names were named. Events were emerged from Morogoro into a new era of ing with the way forward. The outcome cited. unity, revitalisation and intensified struggle. was to be reorganising and rebuilding of the ANC. It provided clear direction to all within the Now, 50 years later, the African Nation- movement on their respective responsi- al Congress finds itself at another such This was seen as a bold move. He then bilities and on the theoretical basis that moment. sent word via his secret route to Robben informed the actions and activities of the Island that a consultative, decision-mak- ANC. The 54th National Conference, which ing event was not only vital, but also over- was held in December 2017, recognised due. In due course he received a reply It also defined the role of the armed that the movement was in decline. agreeing to the conference. struggle as an essential part of the polit- ical programme of the movement and its A Diagnostic Organisational Report pre- Preparations were made for a National relationship to the development of a mass sented by the Secretary General de- Consultative Conference, to be held in movement inside the country. scribed a growing deficit of trust between the town of Morogoro in Tanzania. the people and the movement, which was The election of a new NEC and the es- evident in declining electoral support. In the words of a directive by the NEC, tablishment of a Revolutionary Council the Conference was to: was among the decisions that contributed The movement was no longer united. “[Bring] together militants who constitute to greater organisational coherence and Factionalism and patronage had become the entire spectrum of the progressive prepared the ANC to better operate under entrenched in the organisation as leaders and revolutionary forces within our move- the changed circumstances. contested fiercely not only for positions, ment, for a down-to-earth appraisal of ev- but for the access to resources that these ery aspect of our liberation struggle as led After a long and difficult discussion, positions provided. by the African National Congress.” stretching back several years, Morogoro decided to open membership of the ANC This contestation had distorted almost The Conference was therefore the culmi- to coloured, Indian and whites.