1 ISSUE 2: JANUARY 2012 CONTENTS A Quest for a True Humanity 4 The Politics of Truth 10 Intoduction: Quest for a True Socio-Political Developments in Free Speech vs Hate Speech – Humanity – Achieving the Vision 1 South Africa – Reflections on the The Dividing Line 12 Myth of Reconciliation 6 Destitution, Disease, Despair 2 Contributors’ Biographies 14 Quest for a True Humanity Achieving the Vision “We have set out on ecember 18, 2011 Steve Biko’s take on the contemporary a quest would have been Steve body politic would have been. What for true DBiko’s 65th birthday, would he have made of the face of humanity, and thus possibly the year of the New South Africa? How would he and his retirement from the world have described her soul? somewhere of work. For this reason, it In this, the second edition of the on the is safe to speculate that this FrankTalk Journal – Quest for a True distant Nkosinathi Biko would have been a year of Humanity: Achieving the Vision – we horizon we introspection for him, as he took bring you views on the state of South can see the glittering stock of his life. Given his vocation, African society, and how far we have prize. Let us march his introspection would predictably progressed in becoming the nation forth with courage have had a socio-political bias. with a more human face that Biko and determination, The political space of which Steve spoke about. Based on a compilation drawing strength Biko was a part has seen a number of various FrankTalk dialogues that from our common of its principal “isms” turned on their have taken place to date, this edition brotherhood. In heads. In the past, the predominant explores a number of issues that time we shall be discourse was that of socialism were at the fore of discourse during in the position to versus capitalism. In what would 2011: hate speech versus freedom of bestow upon South have been the year of his retirement, speech; race relations; and economic Africa the greatest central banks around the world are inequality among others. Among the gift possible-a more arguing that they need to apply a featured contributors are colleagues, human face.” little socialism in order to rescue friends and contemporaries of Biko; Steve Biko capitalism. Closer to home, the as well as a new generation of thought You may submit an article to us via admin@ principle and devotion of yesteryears leaders and activists. sbf.org.za; or through the FrankTalk blog: has been expended. In its place is We are pleased to share these http://sbffranktalk.blogspot.com/. despicable expediency fuelled by views with you here. We also invite We also invite you to dialogue with us crass materialism. you to share your own thoughts on through facebook http://www.facebook.com/ Endowed with commendable the state of South African society and TheSteveBikoFoundation and Twitter @ insight, topped off with a great sense Biko’s legacy with us throughout this BikoFoundation. of history, one can only imagine what 65th birthday year. 2 their efforts, their value system, culture, religion and outlook on life. Destitution, Today, he would see the task of Black Consciousness as incomplete and call for more revolutionary “fists” to be raised to urge black people to seek Disease, Despair liberation from the psychologically devastating situations of colonisation and apartheid. He would call for ppression is the enemy of next to one another in restaurants the creation of a socialist state that humanity. In its grasp, one and living side by side as friends and would rectify the economic legacies Owitnesses the shattering of neighbours. of exploitation. mankind, self-destruction of the TV programmes Three decades oppressed and oppressor. broadcast proud later, Biko would Oppression is a waste, it is messages about “17 not only affirm the destructive on all fronts; oppression years of freedom.” This call he made to diverts and pollutes the best energies new democracy seems fellow citizens but of man. to have provided answers would do so with At the heart of oppression is an to the injustices of the urgency because economic framework in which one apartheid past. the problems facing group of people benefits from the However, the reality the country and exploitation of another. of the South Africa that other black people Professor Ben Khoapa This false righteousness for the Biko would find today in the diaspora have sake of exploitation causes a peculiar paints a different picture. The years of magnified to a global nature. social readjustment. “freedom” have come to mean years He would also call for an increased The oppressed – now locked into of not dealing with the problem of sophistication in developing tools a dangerous economic framework – racism in this country. of analysis and development of must be convinced that suffering is The integration touted by appropriate paradigms. their fault and that their oppressors government has not reconciled the Like Fanon, Biko had traversed have an unassailable right to racial disharmony of apartheid. a long, painful road of intellectual administer such exploitation. The white neighbour might smile labour and arrived at results that are This framework causes a vicious and greet the black neighbour, but it instructive and inspiring. existential disruption where all of a is clear that a certain relationship still Yet if we leave matters where destiny sudden a native people with their exists between them. stopped him or occasionally quote own understanding of the world – Biko would find what he had always him for convenience, we would be their traditions, rites and rituals – are known – that apartheid was not “petty” eulogising him. It is much more fruitful stripped of identity and handed a new but a separation that pushed for the to build on his works, distil aspects one in which their colonial masters dehumanisation of the oppressed to of his contributions relevant to current have apotheosised themselves and sustain power. The reality created problems and work to further what he they are reduced to an inferior status. by the monster of oppression is a pioneered. These words and sentiments were society ailing from a disease of the Any consideration of Biko and his expressed by Frantz Fanon (1952) mind called “racism.” contributions brings to the discourse and Albert Memmi (1957) and echoed Biko had described Black the effects of that historical scandal by Steve Biko in his lifetime, in the Consciousness as an attempt to infuse and realities that are awakening us context of the search for answers to black people with pride in themselves, to the fact that the “human factor” the slave mentality that was so much in oppression and plans for national of a handicap to black people finding reconstruction have been neglected themselves and seizing the initiative to “Yet if we leave for too long with grave consequences. break the chains that imprisoned them. matters where destiny The evident crises in individual Thirty four years after Biko’s death, stopped him (Biko) identities and collective histories Africans are celebrating their freedom or occasionally quote cannot be ignored. The alarming from oppression. him for convenience, increase in alcoholism, mental South Africa’s step into majority we would be disorders and personal violence rule was a step towards a nonracial, eulogising him. It is in urban and rural areas invite the neoliberal society. much more fruitful attention and contributions of our Things have seemingly changed to build on his works, professional caregivers and other – whites no longer ride in different distil aspects of his a“helping” professionals. buses nor sit on different benches or contributions relevant The last decade has shown use different toilets. to current problems how entrenched old inequalities in One can see black and white and work to further economics and structure of domain walking down the same streets, sitting what he pioneered.” are. Dreams of equality and dignity 3 have not come true for many of our The continuing desertification of “The real importance people and old wounds continue to land, reducing soil nutrients and of the Black fester, more than ever now as the arable land, combines with the Consciousness bankruptcy of an assimilated elite desertification of values and threatens Movement is not and false symbols like flashy cars are social disintegration and even cultural the nature of its understood. extinction in parts of the developing disappearance; it is The high expectations brought world. in the nature of its about by promises of national It is in considering these problems reappearance.” independence and the “war on and seeking solutions to them that poverty” has been replaced by a Biko and his work are particularly generalised demoralisation and significant. cynicism. South Africa has entered a new thousands of kilometres away. It is by no means insignificant that era. It is for this reason that Black This is the new colonialism and it about 800 million of the world’s Consciousness still lives and it requires a new conscientisation. population is so impoverished that reminds us that as Biko so aptly As a young student pointed it constitutes a global “underclass” said: “The most potent weapon in the out to me the other day: “The characterised by malnutrition, hands of the oppressor is the mind of real importance of the Black disease, illiteracy and living in squalor. the oppressed.” Consciousness Movement is not the It has the highest rates of mortality at The call for solidarity of the nature of its disappearance, it is in any age, has health problems and life oppressed is valid and urgent but it is the nature of its reappearance.” The expectancies of less than 50 years also good to realise that the battle has Black Consciousness Movement and a reduced capacity to work.