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THE YEAR OF CHARLOTTE MAXEKE: PROMOTING IN THE AGE OF COVID-19

The Year of Charlotte Maxeke: Promoting human rights in the age of COVID-19

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CONTENTS

Introduction ...... 3 Socio-Historical Context ...... 3 The Political Economy of Health Provision and COVID-19 ...... 8 A Tribute to Charlotte Maxeke ...... 8 Strategic Objectives ...... 9 The Launch and the Official Program ...... 0Error! Bookmark not defined. Marketing And Communications ...... 09

The Year of Charlotte Maxeke: Promoting human rights in the age of COVID-19

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1. INTRODUCTION

The Department of Sport Arts & Culture, in consultation with its partners in government will once again lead in the planning and commemoration of the 2021 Human Rights Month and Human Rights Day. The Department of Justice and the Presidency, including the GCIS would be the main partners for this commemorative programme. Given the declaration by the President for a national state of disaster owing to the rampant spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant loss of lives and livelihoods, it stands to reason that this pandemic should inform the substance of the theme for 2021. Also, 2021 marks the 150th anniversary of struggle icon and human rights campaigner Charlotte Maxeke. Had she lived, she would be 150 years this year. As a way to memorialise and remember her, her life story would also inform the 2021 theme for Human Rights Month. The concept note also gives a socio-historical context to the commemoration, critiques the political economy of COVID-19 as well as foregrounds the life story of the celebrated trailblazer Charlotte Maxeke. Finally, the concept note would also propose strategic objectives for the commemoration, the draft programme for commemoration, including the format.

2. SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONTEXT TO HUMAN RIGHTS DAY (AND HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH)

Owing to the growing repression by the state and attendant human rights abuses that were sell-evident at the time, opposition to apartheid led by the broader liberation movement grew. By the early 1960’s, it had become apparent that the apartheid machinery was gaining traction and getting more draconian in approach that it has ever been envisaged before. With the defeat of the United Party in 1948 by a more white radical Afrikaaner political formation i.e. the National Party, apartheid immediately became official policy of the new National Party government. With this new development then came a plethora of laws which gave a very clear signal of a new political epoch, marked by a plethora of oppressive and intrusive laws.

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The , among many other pieces of oppressive laws were introduced. The pass in particular sought to restrict and control movement of blacks, in particular Africans. At the very heart of the pass laws was the idea that blacks were an aberration, an unnecessary irritant whose movements needed to be controlled and curtailed. In other words, the pass laws were meant to deny African people of their right to dignity and citizenship in the country of their birth. Given that the pass laws tore into the very essence of the South African society, its being, its identity and its values; leaders of the mass liberation movement had to take stand; which they did. In this regard, a number of protest marches planned across the length and breadth of this country were planned as a way to say to signal to the white racist apartheid regime, that the oppressed black majority will not wittingly stand idle in the face of , but will instead stand up and fight to the bitter end.

The called by leaders of the Congress Movement was meant to be a series of peaceful protests against pass laws across major centres of this country. Peaceful protest was this the political modus operandi at the time until the broad liberation movement was pushed to the edge and thereby forming armed wings such as Apla and Mkhoto-we-Sizwe. However, given the moral and ethical depravity of the apartheid regime, it made sure that its state security apparatus on the day of the major protest on 21 March 1960 in Sharpeville was armed to the teeth and would brutally crash the peaceful protest with live ammunition. The Sharpeville protest was led by the Africanist breakaway faction of the ANC, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), and was now a fully-fledged political force. The violent crackdown at this protest saw at least 69 people, including women and children massacred, while also leaving over 180 injured. It is reported that more deaths followed as apartheid security forces rounded up activists and their families in the aftermath of the massacre. Subsequent protests and strikes were met with major repression, culminating into the total ban of both the ANC and PAC.

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Sharpeville remains a signature event in this nation’s historical timeline, and its contribution need to be foregrounded, as it certainly ought to be case with many other parts of this country, which, like Sharpeville, took the fight to the apartheid regime, and like Sharpeville, they encountered the worst of the apartheid’s brutal force. Sharpeville, as a signature event (not so much it is supremely significant in comparison to many other places that have had to endure apartheid’s brutality) will always take its special rightful place in the nation’s liberation narrative. Like June 16, 1976, it assisted in foregrounding onto the international stage the plight of the African masses against a senseless and cruel white apartheid regime. Sharpeville exposed the apartheid regime for the pariah state it was.

3. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF HEALTH PROVISION AND COVID-19

The deep inequalities in society premised fundamentally along the contours of race, class, and gender, continue to stymie the nation’s effort towards cohesion and nation building. It is an indisputable truth that account for the overwhelming majority of the poor and working class while most are in the higher earning bands. These deep inequalities also have a gender dynamic since black women would account for a sizable number of the working class poor – accounting for well over 50% of the total. With the declaration of the national disaster by the President, as a way to stamp out the rampant spread of the COVID-19, including putting breaks on potential deaths, the mostly black working class poor was left stranded and with livelihoods lost as a result of the economic shutdown across many key sectors.

Given the appalling living conditions of the working class poor, stricter adherence to all the necessary COVID-19 health and safety protocols became a challenge. For example, given the living conditions of squalor, most could hardly social distance during the hard lockdown. Also, given the economic shutdown, and loss of income in the informal sector and in the broad unskilled categories of employed, accessing basic preventative necessities such as masks and sanitizers became a challenge, notwithstanding the temporary R300 temporary monthly grant to the unemployed as emergency relief. The public health sector on which the majority of the poor and working class depend, remains

The Year of Charlotte Maxeke: Promoting human rights in the age of COVID-19

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4. A TRIBUTE TO CHARLOTTE MAANYA While the international community observe annually 21 March as the “The International Day for the Elimination of Racial ”, the democratic government declared March 21 Human Rights Day to commemorate and honour those who fought for our liberation and the rights we enjoy today. In line with the Department’s mandate as the custodian of the government’s commemorative programme, including key anniversaries, the Charlotte Maxeke Institute, an NPO, approached the Ministry via a correspondence entitled “150th Year Celebration of Charlotte Makgomo Mannya-Maxeke”. Had she lived, Maxeke will have been turning 150 years in 2021. As has been the case with most of our struggle icons, most notably , Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo, there is a strong view expressed in the correspondence to the Minister that Mme Maxeke must also be accorded a special place in our collective memory by appropriately marking her life in 2021, and thus ensuring that millions of young people, especially younger women, draw solace and inspiration from her life of service and sacrifice.

Given the staying power of patriarchy and the continued subjugation and and girls, dedicating 2021 to the life of Charlotte Maxeke would also be one simple symbolic measure in reassuring the South African society that government’s commitment to gender equality remains strong. Should the request be granted, Mme Maxeke will only become the 2nd woman after struggle icon Mama Albertina Sisulu, to be honoured in this way. Should government be positively inclined to this request, the Department would, for its part, ensure that her person and her socio-historiography, anchor our national days programme, in much the same way as the anniversaries of Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Albertina Sisulu did.

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While her bona fides in terms of the liberation struggle are beyond question, as she joined an illustrious and brave generation of women in the struggle against colonial subjugation (women who were far ahead of their times) – her life epitomises everything good about being black in at the time. Thus, in her world, there were no such inherent contradictions between intellectual pursuits on the one hand, and engaging in the liberation struggle on the other. It could be said then that Maxeke was one woman of many “firsts”. For example, she is known to have been the first black woman to ever graduate with a university degree in South Africa. Also, she is the first black African woman to graduate from an American university – a rarity at the time.

Among several legacy initiatives meant to memorialise her is the “ General Hospital”, now renamed Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. The South African Navy also dedicated one of their war submarines to her memory – with the unveiling of the SAS Charlotte Maxeke. At the Garden of Remembrance Pretoria, her statue stands tall among a few of her contemporaries. These few examples are being cited as a way to illustrate the point that the effort to memorialise her has always been there. However, dedicating 2021 in her memory will further give traction to these earlier and more noble gestures by government. As intimated earlier, it would be of great symbolic significance that Ms Maxeke is honoured this way and that her life story is part of the nation’s collective consciousness given the fact that the memorialisation project, in the main, has been gendered, given the patriarchal nature of South African society, and that therefore, there is need for the state to send the right signals, even symbolically.

5. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

The strategic objectives for the 2021 Human Rights Months are as follows:

• To celebrate and commemorate the 150th anniversary of struggle icon and trailblazer Ms Charlotte Maxeke • To contribute to the transformation of the nation’s memorialization project by recognizing women who contributed significantly to the nation’s liberation struggle

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• To bring to the fore the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment and how these have further disadvantaged the poor in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic • To use the Human Rights month as an advocacy platform for the Charlotte Maxeke 150th anniversary programme • To use the Human Rights month as a vehicle to foster social cohesion, nation building, national identity, socio-economic development, end to , and . • To foreground issues of public health at the center of the human rights agenda • To promote the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution of the Republic into law • To create awareness through educational programmes, dialogues and public engagements on the importance of Human Rights

6. THE LAUNCH AND THE COMMEMORATIVE EVENT PROGRAM The main event of the Human Rights day Commemorations will take place on 21 March 2021, hosted by the Province. Given that the country might still be under some form of lockdown, as part of the measures to reduce the rampant spread of the virus and prevent unnecessary deaths, the main commemorative event would be held on virtual platforms, with production to commence forthwith in partnership with the Eastern Cape Province, the Presidency and the GCIS. The launch event would be in-person in a form of a media launch, in the Province of the Eastern, to be presided over by the Minister and the Premier. The media launch would be on Monday 01 March 2021

7. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Government departments (together with Government Institutions), NGOs and the private sectors are therefore encouraged to host a series of activities in the form of workshops, symposiums and other gatherings to engage on the advancement of human rights for all South Africans. Among others, the following are listed as strategic partners for Human Rights Month:

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The Presidency GCIS Department of Justice, Constitutional Development & Correctional Services The Provincial Government of the Eastern Cape The South African Human Rights Commission The Foundation for Human Rights All Chapter 9 institutions State Security Agency (SSA) The Provincial Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture The Provincial House of traditional leadership The South African Police Service Community Cultural Organizations Human Rights Groups Youth Formations NGOs Media Religious groups

8. HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH PLAN OF ACTION / BUILD-UP ACTIVITIES A consolidated plan would be developed upon commencement of stakeholder consultations and national steering committee planning meetings.

9. MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Marketing and communications would be developed in due course, in consultation with the GCIS as well as DSAC marketing and communications Chief Directorate.

The Year of Charlotte Maxeke: Promoting human rights in the age of COVID-19