Malema's manipulation and distortion of history

31 March 2010

Dear Editor

Julius Malema’s attack on the role of the PAC (Pan Africanist Congress) in mobilising the masses for the protest that led to the Sharpville Massacre in 1960 is disgusting to say the least. For him to even suggest that Sharpeville must be ‘properly located’ in the struggle as led by the African National Congress (ANC) is a blatant denial of the truth of the events of our past. Malema’s negationism is typical of all authoritarian regimes that try to tell the people that they, rather than the people, liberated their countries. This is an attempt to make the people dependent on the regime in power – to forget that real power always remains with the people.

Malema is under attack for his corruption and so he is trying to distract attention from his own betrayal of the people by attacking others. The ANC are facing constant revolt from poor communities and social movements. The road blockades continue to go up all over the country. On Human Rights Day the television news led with the Abahlali baseMjondolo march in Durban and not the ANC’s propaganda for their plunder. The fact is that everyone can see that the real faithfulness to the struggle is being kept alive in the ongoing revolts across the country. This is why the ANC defends Malema – they need him to detract from the fact that the people are refusing to accept their betrayal of the struggle – of our struggle.

The manipulation of history is nothing new. It is a key characteristic of authoritarian regimes. But the fact that the ANC has now descended to this level is a very serious warning sign about where this country is going.

Sandi L Schrut writes in his poem – Truth and Lies

When fears of truth are hidden
Behind a flimsy wall of lies
And wishful dreams are spoken
By fearful lips decried

A sadness cools the soul, and grows
With each dark untruth spoken
And when the grim, true story’s told
A bond of trust is broken

When all is said and done I think
The truth tho’ sometimes hateful
Is best, by far the better choice
And oft’ times much less painful

Amilcar Cabral writes:

‘We must practice revolutionary democracy in every aspect of our party life. Every responsible member must have the courage of his responsibilities, exacting from others a proper respect for his work and properly respecting the work of others. Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures.’

Professor Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe was arrested because of his role in the anti-pass campaign in 1960. The PAC had invited the ANC, but the ANC refused to participate in the campaign. He was sentenced to three years at the end of which Parliament enacted a general law amendment act, which empowered the minister of justice to prolong the detention of any political prisoner indefinitely. This procedure became known as Sobukwe Clause. Sobukwe was the only person imprisoned under this clause. Subsequently, he was removed to Makana Island, where he remained for an additional six years. These harsh conditions came because of his leading role in the anti-pass campaign. Sobukwe was the only political prisoner to live in a separate area on the island where he had no contact with other prisoners. The only contacts were his secret hand signals whilst outside for exercise. The South African apartheid government had profiled Robert Sobukwe as a more radical and difficult opponent than the regular ANC prisoners. Later when he was sick in his home in Kimberly he was refused his freedom of movement by the apartheid regime. Thus he died under house arrest.

By understanding history you can understand why 21 March must be called Sharpville Day and not Human Rights Day, why 27 February must be declared a public holiday – Sobukhwe Day, why 12 September must be declared a public holiday – Steve Biko Day.

We have a political dispensation because of the gallant struggle waged by Robert Sobukwe, Steve Biko, Chris Hani to mention but a few, because of the fearless struggle waged by the African National Congress (ANC), Pan African Congress of Azania (PAC), the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), the New Unity Movement, the trade union movement, the United Democratic Front (UDF), Wosa and Qibla just to mention a few organizations. By understanding history, you can understand why things are the way they are right now. You can understand what it means to have no food, to be unemployed and stuck in poverty. You can understand the pain. You can picture what it means to live in South Africa as a child of the working class. South Africa is a country where almost one million jobs were lost last year. We are the most unequal society in the world: Two million families lack decent housing. We have the highest rates of new HIV infection in the world. South Africa is known across the world as a place where there are high levels of corruption.

The Malemas of this world are using their political positions to plunder the resources of our country, winning at least R140 million in government tenders. Yet the bridges that his companies build fall down in first rains – just like the RDP houses here in Vukani are blown over in the first strong wind. In South Africa government tenders and patronage are the vehicles for accumulation by a minority, in the face of the extreme monopolisation of the economy.

No one should purport to be representing the poor when they are living in opulence earned from plunder from the poor and ordinary taxpayers. When you understand history, you understand that the call for the nationalisation in a pro-capitalist country is a call the further plundering of the resources, a call for institutionalized corruption, a call for government to stop pretending to care about development and to take a clear stand in favour of the fat cats. A call for nationalisation in the context of socialism would be a different thing – it would be a call for socialisation. It would be the call for the constitutional amendment to remove the property clause. It would be a call to take action, to take a stand and fight back against capitalism that is threatening our world with disaster.

Sobukwe and Biko were, and continue to be, the greatest champions of the national liberation of the people even if little is being said about them. Those who manipulate and distort our history will be judged by history as history has judged Charles Taylor, Mobuto Seseko and other agents of imperialists.

‘We are fighting so that insults may no longer rule our countries, martyred and scorned for centuries, so that our peoples may never more be exploited by imperialists not only by people with white skin, because we do not confuse exploitation or exploiters with the colour of men's skins; we do not want any exploitation and corruption in our country, not even by black people.’ – Amilcar Cabral

Ayanda Kota

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* Ayanda Kota speaks for the South African Unemployed People’s Movement.
* This letter is dated 31 March 2010
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.