Translate

Wednesday 29 August 2018

State Captures Sobukwe

As the nation of Azania was laying to rest its mother and symbol of ultimate resistance to unjust rule, the office of the presidency and other organs of the state attempted to appropriate the family funeral of the late Zondeni Veronica Sobukwe, in Graaf-Reinet on Saturday 25 August 2018. What was more unpalatable is the arrogance of the state choosing to not remain neutral, but politicizing the occasion by attempting to apply government sanction policy on the ceremony, policy that would provoke the unequivocally pan-African political ideology and culture of the political home of the late stalwart. Some argue that Mama Sobukwe was long dead and buried by the apartheid (and upheld by the present) regime. To contextualize this, the well-being and general condition of the mother of the nation and her family was not a concern of the government since her husband, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwes’, astute stand against white racism and racialism. It was not their concern when in 1993 she painfully appeared in front of the now tainted TRC, cross examined by the late advocate Sandi detailing the persecution and eventual systematic murder of her husband at the hands of apartheid laws. She was ironically not their concern at the start of ‘Womens’ month’ is ‘South Africa’, when she was gravely ill and attempts to get state assistance with her hospitalization fell on deaf ears. Earlier in the year in April 2018, there was a futile attempt recognize this colossus of African liberty by granting her the National order of Luthuli in Silver. It is fact though that this award only was awarded after pan African social movement, The Black House Kollective of Azania, wrote a letter of demand to nominate the revolutionary to receive the ‘prestigious’ award after they hosted the first Memorial Lecture of the mother of Azania. It was never hers to be given rightfully, if was it would have been the highest order, not Silver. Then again, the question emerges, why would a government led by a ruling party that is hell-bent on primarily sweeping real revolutionary status of this country under carpet and eventually disposing of the dirt in the waste bin, honor the one woman whose existence exposes the false reality of the rainbow country scam? What transpired in Graaf Reinet could not have happened in any other way. It was a real reflection of the nature of politics in this country. We have been held ransom since 1994 by a bunch of egoistic and illiterate ‘pigs’ in Fitzgerald’s farm. There is a lot of talk around state capture, but none is viler like the attempted capture of the Sobukwe legacy by the current government. The Pan African Congress of Azania(PAC) is being labelled by media and the presidency to have “Violently Disrupted” the funeral proceedings because of factionalism. This is because of the removal of Narius Moloto(this incident is ironically similar to that of Mangosuthu Buthelezi being removed from Robert Sobukwes funeral in 1978, on more or less similar conditions) from the church service in the morning (he later present in the marque tent at the service at the Botanic Gardens), and also the hackling of the state enforced event Programme Director, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqkakula, by the PAC faithful. A brief and suspect interruption by unknown attendee whilst PAC veteran Cassim was speaking, led to deputy president David Mabuza being evacuated due to security concerns, encompasses the devilish labelling of ‘violent disruptions’. But has the government taken timeout to evaluate the manner in which it positioned itself to highjack the last honor the PAC can possibly give to Mama Sobukwe and her fight for a free and united Africa? Several issues point to a deliberate and disrespectful attempted capture of the funeral. The first and most blatant is the media propaganda machine that churned out reports of the Sobukwe family, the PAC and State agreeing to certain principles to uphold at the ceremony. The Government set conditions of a state funeral and imposed them on the Family. The loyalty of the PAC lies with the family, not state. Mama Sobukwe belonged to Azania, not the state. Azanians’ thus should have primary obligation to honor her at her last resting place as the state was never at her side in need or in happiness. The principles that mama Sobukwe held up high are those of the PAC. Its ethics and moral. Serve, suffer and sacrifice. These principles are in direct contrary to the principles held by the government, which happen to be informed by the ANC ruling party. It is inevitable some of the policies and principles held by the state are going to be in direct contrast ideologically to that of the ANC, like that of nationhood. Its basic ‘South African political social theory 101’. 3 factors would be pivotal in the funeral proceedings: 1. The draping of the coffin in PAC regalia 2. Singing of the national anthem 3. Respect of the PAC code of conduct as per national ceremony. Regardless of whether the family accepted state funeral nature of ceremony, the government had the obligation to honor the stalwarts political home first, as it is the primary basis of her recognition as a revolutionary in the dispensation of this land, and continent. If they were true to morals and ethics, this would not be a debate. The resultant of an ANC led negotiation with the state in 1993 led to compromised decisions in as far as the black majority. The issue of identity and nationhood rests solely on the concept of a rainbow nation that encompasses all who live in it, not taking into account rights of the dispossessed and marginalized. The draping of the coffin in PAC regalia was pivotal to Sobukwe identity. The exchange from the state flag to the PAC flag, and the presentation thereof the removed state flag to Mama Sobukwes’ daughter Miliswa, symbolically shows the regime that terrorized her family finally giving in to her resistance, even in death. The subsequent ‘withdrawal of the State’ and covering of the republics’ coat of arms with PAC flag distinctively represents the party and to a degree the families’ stance on the puppet nature and embodiment of apartheid remnants in the current government. The current national anthem is a symbol of a political injury suffered by the black majority, immortalized in the anthem (with Die Stem part of song). As much as it is inculcated in the constitution that rules the land, it thwarts and rubbishes the ethics and principles of the pan African agenda and PAC code. How was this going to be allowed to happen on the Africanists’ watch, on live international broadcast? What kind of high treason were Azanian Peoples Liberation Army(APLA) and PAC loyalists being asked to commit? Mapisa-Nkqakula had the power of leading the ceremony as per agreement with family and state, she proceeded to abuse her power like they always do in government sanctioned spaces. Her referral to the ‘’PAC of South Africa” was a dangerous and devilish gimmick. She deliberately used foreign political language and slogans to PAC cadre and faithful. She used demeaning language and attitude to the SAPS provincial commissioner (not that recognizing their role and rank does not change their illegitimate presence), to the point that the only way to calm the masses was withdrawing her and the police from the proceedings, leading to the presidential guard also withdrawing. Thandiswa Mazwais’ timely rendition of her hit yet politically charged song, “Nizalwa ngobani?”, further sensitized those present and those watching the live broadcast that truly, some had forgotten who they were birthed by. There would be no ‘rainbow country’ to speak if it was not for the class suicide that Mama Sobukwe and tata Sobukwe committed in 1960, leading to sharpvile massacre. Yet today we have the ANC deployed government ministers and envoys belittling the stand against the herenvolk driven separate development policies, and attempting to appropriate its fruits and legitimate proponents. Zolani Mkhiva made the grave mistake of calling on the PAC to engage the ruling party in the affairs of running the state. Ignorance is bliss, but consistent naivety is deadly. This is not a state, it’s a colony as we saw on Saturday. Its a colony ran by slaves who seek to keep fellow Africans in houses of bondage with their minds in chains. Mapisa-Nkqakula, as a woman, must be ashamed for trying to oppress an already oppressed freedom fighter in the 21st century when feminism is a remedy to filthy patriarchy. History will be harsh towards her, verily. One thing that this funeral has done is open the can of worms from CODESA. It has opened dialogue on nationality, identity and legitimate governance of the land. Is the state legitimate in as far as the true principles of African Liberty as per pan Africanism is concerned? Has redress occurred? And if not who has hindered the process as only one party has led governance till today. Death is a natural occurrence that will never be something we are used and accustom to. An enemies’ death is honored too. But the death of a nation is symbolized by the removal on of its foundation. The state tried to capture the death of a giant and appropriate it for their own sadistic reasons, and have in the process awoken a nation that was in a deep slumber. To stand up for the noble notions of African unity. The nation of Azania. As I write this, I’m saddened by the fact that yet again it’s been proven that black(woman) lives do not matter, even in death. Instead of honoring Mama, we are stuck in a paradigm vacuum of party ideologies and theories, yet fail to love and celebrate a life well lived by a remarkable human being. A woman of Africa first. A daughter and a sister. A mother of a nation. I’m am also galvanized towards jubilation. Jubilation that at last the wolves in sheepskin have been exposed, by their own doing and published on their own broadcast propaganda wheel. Sibusiso Mnyanda Graaf Reinet 26 August 2018