& DAILY NEWS PAGE 9 VIEWS ANALYSIS WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1 2017 was a thinker and a ‘natural democrat’, writes Dougie Oakes

N SUNDAY, March 27, of all Africans, from the Medi- 1960, two men set off terranean Sea in the north to on a perilous 1 400km the Indian and Atlantic oceans Ojourney by car from in the south… and that Af- Cape Town to . ricans must speak with one It was six days after the mas- voice.” sacre of 69 people in the East But in setting up his “mis- Rand of Sharpeville sion in exile”, Tambo quickly and the security apparatus of realised that if were the apartheid state was ruth- to be defeated, help would be lessly wielding its weapons of needed from many sources in suppression against opponents many countries. of National Party policies. He quickly showed his ma- One man was black, the jor strength was his ability to other white. resolve different – and, often, One was a reckless critic difficult – problems faced by of apartheid. The other a deep the organisation. thinker and careful planner. Initially seen as uncharis- Oliver Tambo was the driver matic and overly conservative, of the vehicle – the chauffeur. he proved to have an analytical He was dressed in a white uni- mind and the ability to see form, cap and gloves. With him and understand other points was Ronald Segal, the editor of of view within the ANC – espe- Africa South, a liberal journal. cially the ANC in exile. One of the new generation Thus, Albie Sachs described of ANC members, Tambo’s him as a “natural democrat”. instruction was to flee South Bridgitte Mabandla was en- Africa in anticipation of a chanted by his ability to see post-Sharpeville crackdown by men and women as equals. the apartheid authorities and admired his to set up an ANC “mission in “rural wisdom”. And Jonas exile”. Gwanga was impressed by his After a quick goodbye to his love of music. wife, Adelaide, and children, But even with these diplo- Thembi and Dali, in the East matic skills, he faced a difficult Rand township of Wattville, task. he set off on his journey. The In the beginning, Tambo’s almost four-hour drive to the biggest problem was the disin- British Protectorate of Bech- terest of big Western powers, uanaland went without inci- most notably the UK and US. Trucks transport coffins to the graves of victims of the 1960 . dent. When the ANC started an A young journalist named armed struggle against the Frene Ginwala was the organi- apartheid regime, both the UK ser-in-chief of his journey out and the US condemned the or- of the protectorate. It involved ganisation as a tool of com- organising travel documents munism and the then-Soviet for him via the Indian consul Union. ‘We asked in Kenya and by the time these In the 1980s, British prime came, Tambo had touched minister Margaret Thatcher down in Malawi and flown to described the ANC as “a typ- Tanganyika and Tunisia, be- ical terrorist organisation”. fore travelling to Rome. Realising he was in for The ANC’s new “roving am- the long haul, Tambo showed bassador” was ready to begin exemplary patience in ex- whites to his mission for a non-racial, plaining the ANC’s position democratic . on issues such as violence and Tambo was one of a group the South African economy. of ANC members who, through In 1982, responding to a the formation of the ANC question about the ANC’s rela- Youth League (ANCYL), had tionship with the Soviet Union, dragged a reluctant and mori- Tambo said: “The Soviet Union bund parent body into a new has no influence on the ANC join us’ era where action to the point any more than Canada has. of breaking apartheid laws What has really happened is would have to take precedence that we found ourselves, dec- from the Soviet Union has no elled to to conduct an bership from the beginning. over petitions and delegations ades ago, fighting against ra- meaning whatsoever in south- interview with the ANC leader “But ANC members who to move South Africa’s black cism and relatively weak. ern Africa. – and published it, much to the are also members of the Com- Former ANC president Oliver Tambo, centre, with and at the people in the direction of free- “We went in search of “There would be no assist- chagrin of its proprietors. He munist Party make a very clear 48th ANC conference in January 1991. PICTURE: SUNDAY TRIBUNE ARCHIVES dom. friends, to Canada, the United ance for anyone without these was sacked soon afterwards. distinction between these two The youth league’s mani- States, Europe, India and else- weapons. That’s what ordin- Readers of the Cape Times independent bodies,” he said. Questioned about what fu- did met with the approval of heid Movement member Bob festo, compiled by, among where. Some received us well. ary people think. Where would were provided with an intrigu- “We co-operate a lot, the ture he saw for whites in South his allies overseas. Hughes backed Huddlestone. others, Anton Lembede, Nel- Some were lukewarm. Some we be without that assistance? ing insight into the thinking ANC is accepted by the Com- Africa, he said: “All of us in the In 1990, he returned to He warned that there should son Mandela, , turned us down. Could we go to Washington?” of Tambo. munist Party as leading the ANC have always considered South Africa after 30 years in not be a “too hasty” accept- Peter Mda, Jordan Ngubane “The Soviet Union gave sup- But ordinary South Afri- One of the major issues for struggle. There is absolute that whites, like ourselves, be- exile and, surprisingly, called ance of the process towards and Tambo, showed the typical port. So did other countries – cans were given very little in- South Africans, fed an almost loyalty to that position. It is long to our country. We took for the ANC’s sanction policies democracy. optimism of young bloods. Sweden, for example. Sweden formation about the struggles daily reading and watching often suggested that the ANC is the earliest opportunity to dis- to be re-evaluated. He said it would be diffi- “Africa’s cause must tri- gave us assistance without of Tambo and the banned ANC diet of “rooi gevaar”, was the controlled by the Communists. pel the notion that we were The British Anti-Apart- cult to sustain any new action umph,” it declared in big, bold strings, except that no funds in exile. ANC’s relationship with Com- That has never been true. fighting to drive the whites out. heid Movement leader, Trevor against the apartheid govern- capital letters. And it added: may be used to buy guns. And then, in November munism. “As for the charge that we We have asked whites to join Huddlestone, immediately ment if sanctions were relaxed “We believe that the national “The Soviet Union does not 1985, Tambo suddenly ap- “It is true that the ANC has are controlled by the Soviet us in the struggle to get rid of voiced his disagreement and – and it would be very difficult liberation of Africans will be have to say that because it gives peared on the front page of the members of the Communist Union, that is also propaganda. the tensions that come with the instead called for sanctions to to reimpose them. achieved by Africans them- us the guns. The supposed Cape Times newspaper. Party,” Tambo said. “There has There is a lot of exaggeration apartheid system.” be maintained. But his warning was ig- selves… We believe in the unity stigma of getting assistance Its editor, Tony Heard, trav- been an overlapping of mem- about terrorism,” he said. Not everything that Tambo Labour MP and Anti-Apart- nored.

ers who can salvage the mess we of the current political malaise are in and lead us to the prom- into a beautiful symphony of ised land. respect for all. With this hope, Authentic conversations I have hope. It is a hope we will be able to work together, deeply rooted in the belief that to experiment together, to design, the majority of South Africans build, create, perform together, to are full of promise and wish stand up for democracy together, with Oliver Tambo and the best for the future of their knowing full well that our future country and children. bodes well. I have hope that with your Yours in anticipation… intervention and a guiding While the above missive other Struggle heroes moral compass the country is an imaginary one, it does has the capacity and competence embody an authentic conver- to chart a new future for all its sation about the wretched state DHIRU SONI majority of our population is dition of our country under people. I have hope that your of South Africa. In reality, we still marginalised and inequal- the present leadership which mission to reduce inequalities do make things true by what PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela ities have grown wider. unashamedly continues to rule and poverty will be reinstated we say – things and people are uttered these famous words Twenty-three years later, for self-interest and divides the and once again become a bear- what we call them. We are what during his memorable inaug- the majority of our population nation in myriad ways. ing point for our development we say and others are what we uration of a new democratic is still poverty stricken in the That the promise of recon- trajectory, which will be devoid say about them. As much as South Africa: “…As a govern- midst of a relatively new elitist struction and development of of rampant corruption, state conversations are so common- ment, the ANC will create a ocean (both black and white) our battered country has been capture, cronyism and dis- place in our lives, we never legal framework that will as- of material prosperity. Twenty- betrayed by these same nefari- crimination. pause to contemplate their sist, rather than impede, the three years later, the spectrum ous marauders who choose to People eat food distributed after President Jacob Zuma’s visit to a poor whites settlement in I have hope that one day in inherent power. awesome task of reconstruc- of colours that made up our loot the nation’s assets, as well Pretoria-west to address issues of service delivery. The writer says our country is in serious the not too distant future citizens South Africa requires much tion and development of our rainbow nation cannot hold and as budgets set aside for hous- trouble and is being weighed down by lack of service delivery. will be able to walk freely with- more in terms of these authen- battered society. is falling apart. ing, health care, schools, clin- out fear of crime; that education tic conversations. First, conver- “While we are and shall re- Twenty-three years later, ics, education, infrastructure, will be free; that our children sations reveal what we see in main fully committed to the minorities by virtue of their safety, job and food security and will not have to go to bed hungry; the world and what meaning we spirit of a government of na- colour are being marginalised school feeding programmes. that national affordable health- attach to what we see. Second, tional unity, we are determined and their contribution to the Dear Honourable Mr Oliver care will be readily available; through conversations we name to initiate and bring about the Struggle is being rubbished by Tambo and other Fallen Heroes, that the nation will be properly things and create reality and change that our mandate from a new brigade of black acolytes. I know it’s your time to rest housed and the citizenry will be thirdly we invite others to see the people demands. We speak Twenty-three years later, our eternally, but in exasperation at peace with itself. what we see and the way we as fellow citizens to heal the country is in serious trouble and hopefulness I request your I have hope that your strug- see it. Finally, and perhaps wounds of the past with the and is being weighed down by revered guidance and celestial gle for a better South Africa most importantly, it is through intent of constructing a new corruption, rent-seeking, a lack intervention in righting the shall not be in vain. I have hope conversations that we either order based on justice for all”. of service delivery, and a klep- dreadful harm that has befallen that your confidence in South sustain or change the meaning This historic speech came tocracy comprised largely of our beloved South Africa. Africa’s humanity will not be of what we see. as a beacon of hope to mil- cronies who dance to the tune As wise architects of our blemished by a few “dirty drops” And so, unless you have a lions of South Africans who of their master’s voice. hard won democracy and the in the nation’s contemporary direct line or an “app” to our had been seared in the flames Instead of writing an open crafters of a magnificent consti- polity. I have hope sanity will revered fallen heroes, I sug- of socio-political injustice. It letter to our current “leader- tution, you signed a promissory prevail and the faith of the gest that we all begin these promised a joyous daybreak ship” which invariably never note in which you pledged that RUTH FIRST OLIVER TAMBO people in your dream of a South authentic conversations in to end the long night of their begets a response, I am seek- every citizen would become the Africa without racial and other our homes, in our schools, in agonising lives under one of ing divine intervention to con- heir to a rising phoenix – the have defaulted on your promis- the “bank” of South Africa is the right to the treasures of our prejudices will be restored. our playgrounds, in our halls the most pernicious regimes. vey an incorporeal message new South Africa. sory note. bankrupt. I refuse to believe that beloved country – a better qual- As devoted South Africans, and wherever we can meet as But 23 years later, the prom- to Oliver Tambo and other This note was a promise Instead of honouring this there are insufficient funds in ity of life and social justice. I am certain that with your a concerned civic society to ised transformation has been fallen Struggle heroes such as that all citizens would be sacred obligation, the present the great vaults of opportunity While I do not wish to con- well-wishes, we will be able to positively chart a new future derailed. Twenty-three years Mandela, Ruth First, Ahmed offered a better quality of life leadership repeatedly gives its of this nation. And so, I have tinuously bemoan the current hew out of the benchmarks of for the country and all who live later, the basic tenets of our Kathrada, Walter and Alber- and social justice. Given the citizens bad cheques, which have through divine intervention malady, I refuse to believe that despair a new mission of hope. in it. We owe it to our children. democracy and constitution tina Sisulu, and Joe malaise of contemporary South come back, marked “insufficient requested that you cash this South Africa does not have a With this new found faith, have been seriously violated. Slovo (to name a few) to inform Africa, it is obvious today that funds”. cheque, a cheque that will give will to develop. I refuse to believe South Africans will be able to ● Soni writes in his personal Twenty-three years later, the them about the shameful con- your successors in leadership But I refuse to believe that all its citizens upon demand that we do not have servant lead- transform the rattling discords capacity