Aug-Sept 2014 K.indd

66

AUG/SEPT 2014 • www.cosatu.org.za

The National Anthem Pains of Democracy By Mabutho Sithole – President of CWUSA

T here has recently been a call to have the National Anthem aired in the morning and in the evening in the national radio. What may have prompted these proposals? Was this inspired by call to have South African history being taught as a compulsory subject in our schools, or Was it the fact that On 28 May 2014, the Eye Witness News (EWN) published a cartoon on its website that contain racial undertones and insults - depicting ANC voters in ‘black’ as “clowns” and “poepholes”. Or was it because on 30 May 2014, The Star Online edition published a story, titled “SA voters like abused spouses - Thuli”, in which the Public Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela characterizes ANC voters as “abused spouses” Or was it because on 3 June 2014, Democratic Alliance Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Michael Waters, circulated a racially offensive picture on Twitter, which depicted ANC voters as dogs lining up to vote for the party - represented by a poster of President Jacob Zuma. Perhaps it may have been the statement by Peter Mulder who, like his ancestors, told all of us that “Africans in particular never in the past lived in the whole of South Africa.” The Bantu-speaking people moved from the equator down while the white

processes as the TRC and that is the fact that such processes if not buttressed by real and sustainable economic bene fi ts, they do not create a platform for the next generations to value their heritage. Instead out of them they produce such groupings as Khulumani where victims of war remain with deep resentment based on unful fi lled commitments whilst the perpetrators continue with their normal if not improved lifestyle. One of the reasons why we chose the TRC route was because of the lessons drawn from such countries as the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and France, took the route of signing an agreement creating the International Military Tribunal (IMT), which became known as the “Nuremberg Tribunal which resulted to even more deepened divisions. Trials were held in Nuremberg in 1945 at which top surviving Nazi leaders were tried for war crimes. Whilst it may be argued that this contributed to the universal determination to avoid the scourge of war, and that legal precedents were created that outlawed wars of aggression, war crimes and Crimes against Humanity. The implied promise held forth to the world was that such crimes would be condemned in future, wherever they occurred and that no person or nation would be above the law. But after half a century, it now seems possible that the promise may not have been ful fi lled.

people moved up from the Cape to meet each other at the Kei River. He argued that there was suf fi cient proof that there were no Bantu-speaking people in the Western Cape and North western Cape. I want to believe that whilst it may have been these reasons, but the more important ones may have been the urgent need to build, enhance and preserve our patriotism and heritage as a Nation. Promoting the National anthem itself, protecting our national symbols, educating our nation about our heritage and more importantly building the nation. It is interesting to note that the person who has made this call has been and continues to occupy positions of decision making. Others may ask – why now? But then – is such a question strategic? Is this not one of those moments when nothing can stop an idea whose time has come? Could this not have been prompted by the material conditions obtaining in our country where it is becoming clear to everyone that whilst the process of truth and reconciliation may have achieved the creation of conditions for a smooth transition, but it was devoid of the process to transfer economic power as the fundamental pre-requisite to achieving total freedom for the oppressed people. Actually to all those who care to take time to look back from where we come, a few lessons can be drawn from achieving democratic breakthrough based on such

Our Heritage