Fixation with Re-Writing the Past Will Blur Foresight for the DA

COMMENT were part of other organisations with © TNA vastly different ideological positions Fixation with and orientation to the ones of the DA and its conservative founders. The DA is quite correct, it’s important that any South African should understand re-writing the past and appreciate the history of this country and the various players in the architecture of our democracy; lest we will blur foresight lose our roots as a nation. The DA campaign asserts that history plays a pivotal role in shaping a future, that history to a large extent for the DA determines direction and purpose; and that hindsight guides foresight. Every party in South Africa has some history attached to it, especially those that existed prior to 1994. Their history has informed their ideological and institutional memorabilia and their vision moving forward. However there is one thing that each political organisation in SA and around the world prides itself in, and that is their leaders, even if their leaders were most controversial to some. You will never mention the ANC without the late OR Tambo, Tata Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Mama Winnie, Charlotte Maxeke, etc. You can never mention the PAC without mentioning Robert Sobukwe, the BCM without Bantu Steve Biko, the IFP without mentioning Mangosuthu Buthelezi, or the NP The essence of the campaign seemingly is for without FW De Klerk or PW Botha. the people of South Africa to know that the DA The point I am driving home is that there are always men and women that played its part in the struggle against apartheid. are known, either as being founders of an organisation, or for leading it at a critical time in history. By Gugu Ndima I was baffled that in the “Know your DA campaign” the DA had a hard time scrambling for historical faces, when ne must admit that South I’ve been observing the “Know a well-known figure who has been African politics is intriguing, your DA” campaign in the media and I instrumental in building and shaping Ogiven the contradictions and must admit it’s been rather an amusing the DA to be what it is today has fast ability to entice politicians from all production: just short of a theatrical been placed on the back bench of disciplines and walks of life. The letter show. The essence of the campaign history. This is none other than Tony penned by Mbali Ntuli (IOL News 26 seemingly is for the people of South Leon. The man remains synonymous May 2013) demonstrates the maturity Africa to know that the DA played its with the DA in South African politics; of our democracy, that anyone in South part in the struggle against apartheid. he has diligently and loyally served the Africa despite their intellect, creed, One of the faces of this campaign is DA through parliament as a leader of race, or class has a platform to air their Patricia De Lille who at that time of the opposition and evidently devoted views about this country. It made me the struggle was a leader of a party time, energy and his life to the politics realise that the winds of democracy which had the slogan “one settler, one of the DA. have taken an imperative turn in our bullet”. I assume that this wouldn’t of The DA under his leadership saw an politics; each political organisation course be a slogan used in the DA. I improvement in the DA’s performance enjoys the freedom to participate and cite this purely because the DA fails to in the 1999 elections making it the give their interpretation of facts. appreciate that most leaders mentioned official opposition by winning 38 48 THE THINKER COMMENT seats in parliament, receiving 9.6% yet it’s the DA that’s attempting to potential who will possibly be a leader of the vote. He became the voice re-write history. The country has of her party can have such a distorted for conservatives and liberals in moved forward and this is evidenced understanding of history, whilst the democratic dispensation and in the work government has done thus claiming to have an “idealistic” future protected the conservative status far. South Africans should know the in mind. quo of the DA. He unapologetically history of our struggle for freedom and As a DA youth leader, it was utterly led campaigns which sought to democracy. They don’t need another disappointing yet expected that she undermine the ANC-led government; distorted version of how apartheid spent a significant amount of time a dismal example being the “Fight unfolded when the truth is embedded dwelling on the ANC, grasping at straws back” campaign; painting distorted in their memoirs, history books and, about how it doesn’t appeal to young perceptions that the government was for some, permanent physical and people and missing an opportune failing when he had actually been a emotional scars. That part of our moment to educate people about the benefactor of participatory democracy. history is a painful, yet significant part DA. She is supposedly worried about The DA’s blatant attempt to belittle of South Africa and any attempts to the future, but only concentrates on his historical role in its formation is distort or undermine it, is no different how disappointed she is in the ANC! tantamount to the AWB coming out from Israelites attempting to re-write Rather than attempting to preach and shunning Eugene Terreblanche - in history about the Palestinians or Nazis about the past, start talking about the the absence of a better illustration. This attempting to re-write the history about now and the future. What is the DA sudden convenient slip in memory can the Jewish holocaust. youth doing to address the plight of simply mean that the DA is mortified by The most profound thing about young exploited workers on farms in its history and is frantically attempting ANC leaders is that many of them the Western Cape? She speaks about to keep it in the closet, or that it has explicitly penned and documented how much she is an “idealist” but what consciously taken the decision to spin their experiences in the struggle, which is this ideal future she sees? Tomorrow it. Now the beauty of SA history is exposes the distorters of history like she and I and many other young South that there are facts no one can tamper the DA. The ANC has never at any Africans will have the task of leading with. Tata Madiba, whom they speak stage claimed that it brought freedom this country; but not on the basis of a so fondly of for obvious reasons, was in isolation from other progressive distorted history. an unashamed member, representative formations and the international If the DA so desperately seeks and leader of the ANC and attempts community. Hence there was even a validation, then its obsession should to isolate him from his roots and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission be about the future of this country and movement he served are absurd. giving a platform to South Africans how to develop constructive patriotic What’s ironically comforting to any from all walks of life to share their leaders who don’t only serve a certain member of the ANC though is that the traumatic experiences. Accolades are privileged class stratum in SA. The DA DA is exposing to the public its severe still bestowed on those that played and as an organisational body can’t claim vacuum in leadership, to a degree that continue to play their part in harnessing to have existed prior to 1994 and if it has to frantically seek political imports our democracy. In fact it is the ANC you insist that it did, let it be known developed, schooled and polished from that became the catalyst in embracing that its principles are deep rooted in other parties, like Patricia De Lille, in unity and cohesion when it was conservatism and liberalism. The DA order to justify its existence. unacceptable for many. It embraced has a mammoth task of building itself Now history on social networks and the independence of countries which in the now, rather than obsessing online will never do justice to the rich were disregarded by the apartheid over the ANC and how the past has history we have. I would advise that regime; it has long-standing ties with been written. History won’t change; if Ntuli is in dire need of an authentic progressive formations across the however I hope it guides Ntuli moving narration of the history of SA or the continent and the world which had forward. History is no different from a DA for that matter, she should speak chosen to assist in the fight against the CV submitted for a job; don’t mislead to people that have been involved. apartheid regime. South Africans about your identity as Ask the ordinary South African who Ntuli’s deformed elucidation of the truth always prevails. experienced violence in the ’70s; ask history should be of serious concern to The ANC has led South Africa into the ordinary South African who was education practitioners of this country. shaping the future and hence the on the streets when Louis le Grange There is a need to reassess the severe unveiling of the National Development declared a state of emergency in 1986; shortcomings of our history curriculum. Plan. Not all South Africans might ask the conservatives and liberals who My worry is how many people are agree with it, but every South African worked tirelessly behind the scenes in being fed architected fallacies about has been afforded an opportunity to forming the DA (I would assume they leaders of our country; how many partake in its formulation and share have been enlightened and know that young people actually understand their views on where we should go.

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