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Letter of the President
7 December , 2007
The most important thing is to solve people's problems
The 52nd National Conference of our movement, the ANC, will convene in Limpopo just over a week after the publication of this edition of ANC TODAY. As would have been expected, the Conference has attracted a great deal of media attention both domestically and internationally.
The same focused attention is also evident throughout our population, including various leaders representing different social echelons. It is therefore clear that it is not only members of the ANC who are interested in the outcomes of our National Conference. This has become a preoccupation of the people as a whole.
This national concern about the proceedings and results of our Conference serves to confirm that our people continue to view the ANC as a parliament of the people, as our founders had intended it to be. Therefore they are convinced that the ANC belongs to them as well, and not just its card-carrying members.
Seme's message
In his well-known article, Native Union, in the newspaper "Imvo Zabantsundu" on 24 October 1911, Pixley ka Isaka Seme said: "The South African Native Congress (ANC) is the voice in the wilderness bidding all the dark races of this sub-continent to come together once or twice a year in order to review the past and reject therein all those things which have retarded our progress, the things which poison the springs of our national life and virtue; to label and distinguish the sins of civilisation, and as members of one household to talk and think loudly on our home problems and the solution of them...
"The demon of racialism, the aberrations of the Xosa-Fingo feud, the animosity that exists between the Zulus and the Tongaas, between the Basutos and every other Native must be buried and forgotten; it has shed among us sufficient blood! We are one people. These divisions, these jealousies, are the cause of all our woes and of all our backwardness and ignorance to-day."
The masses of our people continue to hold on to the perspective that the ANC is itself a parliament of the people, as argued by that principal founder of the ANC, Pixley Seme, and others. They continue to see the ANC as "the voice...bidding all the...races of this sub-continent to come together once or twice a year in order to review the past and reject therein all those things which have retarded our progress, the things which poison the springs of our national life and virtue; to label and distinguish the sins of civilisation, and as members of one house-hold to talk and think loudly on our home problems and the solution of them..."
Archbishops Tutu & Ndungane
It is in this context that all of us must understand the recent statements that have been made by some of our religious leaders reflecting on the matter of our leadership. These religious leaders understand fully that the ANC has every right freely to regulate its affairs, which includes the right of members meeting in Conference to decide on any matter on the agenda of Conference. At the same time, they proceed from the position that members of the ANC hold the ANC in trust for the people as a whole.
Of course members of the ANC are free to disagree with the views expressed by the religious leaders. Nevertheless it is important that we reflect on their opinions, mindful of the fact that as religious leaders these fellow South Africans represent significant sections of our population.
On 29 November, the "Sowetan" said: "In an exclusive telephonic interview with Sowetan from Cape Town yesterday, the veteran human rights campaigner, (Archbishop Desmond Tutu), warned that the ANC must know that when it elects its president, that leader was almost certain to be the next head of state and should, therefore, apply its mind well...
"He said since the ANC nomination results were announced at the weekend and on Monday, he has been inundated with calls from people concerned with developments within the ANC."
Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane followed this with his own statement dated 2 December. He said: "Today and tomorrow, only the best leadership is good enough for the people of South Africa. We have a wonderful country, we have a wonderful constitution - forged on the anvil of blood and sweat and tears. Lives were poured out so that we might have freedom and democracy - the very best of freedom and democracy. Like Martin Luther King, we had a dream, a dream that our new South Africa would be a beacon of light and hope on our continent and in our world...
"We are making our dream a reality. We must carry this vision forward. We must consolidate our successes. We must build on our achievements. We must press on, believing that we can indeed be the best that we can be. This is how we dare to see ourselves - and to dare to live like this, we must dare to demand excellence in our leaders...
"This is the message I want to give to the voters of the ANC in the weeks ahead. Seek out excellence from among your ranks, and do not settle for second best. In the Bible, St Paul says that those who aspire to leadership 'must be serious, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not greedy for money, they must hold fast to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves blameless, let them serve...'
"We need leaders who deserve our respect and our trust because they have earned it - because they have a track record not of serving themselves and their closest associates, but of serving their country, and especially those of our people who are in greatest need, those who are least able to help themselves. This is the mark of true leadership...
"So I exhort the voters of the ANC to use their votes wisely - not only voting with their hearts, but voting with their minds, with their souls...
From top to bottom, we want a country, a nation, a society that, in all its rich diversity, continue to build on the very best foundations. Only the very best is good enough, for those who fought and gave their lives for freedom, for we who enjoy its fruits, and for our children and our children's children. Voters of the ANC - vote wisely, vote well, and may God bless you, and those you choose to serve as leaders."
Bishop B Lekganyane
On the same day that Archbishop Ndungane issued this statement, on 2 December, His Grace Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane of the ZCC delivered a sermon in Bisho in the Eastern Cape. Among other things he said:
"As leaders within the periphery of life what type of messages do we send to our membership? It is you as father and mother of your son or your daughter. It is you as a pastor in your relevant congregation. It is you in the learning centres of our institutions. It is you in the business community. It is you in the political arena. And it is you in the sporting environment. As leaders we are obliged to be sensitive to what we say and do to all our subordinates...
"This brings me to the importance of the concept of character. It goes without say, that character has undoubtedly become a crucial issue...We...have to realise that replacing fallen leaders is a slow and difficult process. We have an unhealthy tendency as a people to see and reward the gift more than the character, but both are to be developed. To guard against falling as Christians, as businesses and all other formations the emphasis should be put on achieving the positive purpose or outcome rather than focusing on the character of a leader that leads to short term benefits...
"It is a pity that some leaders within our communities and within the South African situation are trailing on a path to abusive power. This abuse of power is perpetrated by self esteem, self satisfaction and selfishness. These are leaders who believe in themselves by saying I need this for myself. This refers to leaders aiming at enriching themselves rather than uplifting the lives of the communities they serve especially the previously disadvantaged communities, by drifting away from the discipline of providing services highly needed by the poorest of the poor...
"It is a pity that the human mind is prone to forgetfulness. Most of us have forgotten where we have been thirteen years back. It is a pity that through our deeds possibly though excitement, the human mind forgets that our negative utterances that end up with negative results might bring us two or three steps behind, instead of two or three steps forward...
"Good leadership carries the ability to find from one another, a seed of success. This involves a true leader who carries commitment, diligence and a genuine and matured desire to focus on the problems of others - a leader who does not believe in I and my friends, but a leader who believes in we as a nation...
"As churches and communities we took the forefront in fighting against the monster of apartheid. This has brought us where we are today. I am convinced that our task did not just end up only with the ushering of the new dispensation. It is my strongest belief that the mammoth of a task, and the task that is more difficult but surmountable is in the total protection of our democracy.
"As Christians and all the other faiths in this country, we should feel jealous when this golden gift from God is corroded and wrecked by evil forces. I appeal to all of us gathered here today, to kneel and pray that evils of doom fail to sink the ship. The power of prayers must and will stop this - with God being our helper!"
ANC values & principles
Our movement is, and should be proud of the fact that it is indeed inspired by the same values and objectives spelt out by our religious leaders. This is precisely because, like them, the ANC is fully conscious of its responsibilities to our people, our continent and the world, as well as the heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our liberty.
The ANC Constitution includes an Oath that is binding on all our members. The values espoused in this Oath are clear. It says:
"I solemnly declare that I will abide by the aims and objectives of the African National Congress as set out in the Constitution, the Freedom Charter and other duly adopted policy positions, that I am joining the organisation voluntarily and without motives of material advantage or personal gain...I will work towards making the ANC an even more effective instrument of liberation in the hands of the people, and that I will defend the unity and integrity of the organisation and its principles, and combat any tendency towards disruption and factionalism."
To give effect to this Oath, last year, 2006, our candidate councillors who stood for election in the local government elections made the following Pledge:
"I stand to serve the community. I solemnly declare that I stand to be elected as a representative of my community, without motives of material advantage or personal gain. As a councillor of the ANC I will place my energies and skills at the disposal of my community, and carry out the tasks given to me. I will work side by side with the whole community as we strive to build a better life for all South Africans. I will fight against corruption in any guise or form. I will listen to the views of the community and hold a public meeting with all community members to report back on my work, at least four times a year."
Spoils of office
Yet another document, Through the Eye of a Needle?, which all our members were required to study and use as they made nominations for all our elected positions and should use as they elect our National Executive Committee, says, among other things:
"Because leadership in structures of the ANC affords opportunities to assume positions of authority in government, some individuals then compete for ANC leadership positions in order to get into government. Many such members view positions in government as a source of material riches for themselves. Thus resources, prestige and authority of government positions become the driving force in competition for leadership positions in the ANC.
"Government positions also go hand-in-hand with the possibility to issue contracts to commercial companies. Some of these companies identify ANC members that they can promote in ANC structures and into government, so that they can get contracts by hook or by crook. This is done through media networks to discredit other leaders, or even by buying membership cards to set up branches that are ANC only in name.
"Positions in government also mean the possibility to appoint individuals in all kinds of capacities. As such, some members make promises to friends, that once elected and ensconced in government, they would return the favour. Cliques and factions then emerge within the movement, around personal loyalties driven by corrupt intentions. Members become voting fodder to serve individuals' self-interest...
"The process of social transformation is a difficult one, with possibilities of committing mistakes from time to time and with the speed of change not totally dependent on our will. Some individuals exploit these weaknesses by creating an impression that they could do what the ANC leadership as a whole is unable to do. Thus is born populism.
"Related to the above is the danger arising out of the fact that executive positions in government are by appointment. This can have the effect of stifling frank, honest and self-critical debate within the ranks of the movement. This is because some individuals may convince themselves that, by pretending to be what they are not, and being seen to agree with those in authority all the time, they would then be rewarded with appointment into senior government positions."
Defence of the revolution
Our Code of Discipline, contained in the ANC Constitution, also says: "If, in the opinion of the NEC or the relevant body exercising its right to invoke disciplinary proceedings under this Constitution, a member is guilty of the following offences, disciplinary proceedings may follow:
All the documents I have cited show clearly that as an organisation we continue to be committed to the perspectives first advanced by our revered founders, which also find expression in the views expressed by our religious leaders.
Our experience over many decades, and especially since we acceded to power in 1994, must surely tell us that unless we respect the value system to which we have agreed voluntarily, we will inevitably serve as the very agents for the destruction of the ANC, the defeat of the National Democratic Revolution, and the reversal of the enormous gains our country and the masses of our people have made!
Lessons from the MPLA
The MPLA of Angola is one of the oldest allies of our movement. During the must difficult period of our struggle for liberation, as the Government of Angola, it hosted thousands of the combatants of Umkhonto we Sizwe. As a result of this principled act of solidarity, the apartheid regime committed criminal acts of aggression and destabilisation against the young Republic of Angola, resulting in the death and maiming of countless Angolans and massive destruction of property. Accordingly, we must and will always value the MPLA and the sister people of Angola as our true comrades.
Our leaders and cadres also accepted the leaders of the MPLA as their very own, accepting the experience of the MPLA as a school that would help us to wage a victorious struggle for liberation and the reconstruction of our country. It was in this context that we paid and must pay great attention to advice handed down to us by such leaders of the MPLA as Paulo Jorge and Lucio Lara, both among the founder members of the MPLA.
In her book, Death of Dignity: Angola's Civil War, the British journalist and author, Victoria Brittain, wrote: "Paulo Jorge...described himself as the 'Don Quixote of the country.' He pointed to the government decree of 1992 which allowed ministers to become businessmen. 'That brought a change in mentality - moral values disappeared, replaced by material values.' He joked about the people who told him he was foolish not to go into business like everyone else and who thus showed how completely they had missed the point of this man's life."
Ms Brittain also interviewed Lucio Lara. When she asked him whether the MPLA might have done anything to withstand certain negative pressures during the 1980s, he said:
"We weren't paying a great deal of attention to the ideological problem, to the precise nature of the ideological problem. I speak of honesty, sticking to one's principles, above all, kindness, generosity. A natural militant, by definition, is generous by definition, because he's doing what he can for the people without taking personal interests into account. Maybe we should have paid more attention to this. We should have been able to prevent these personal interests, gradually, the little egos, taking over from the generosity which should be the defining characteristic of militants in a party like ours.
"Now some years have passed, I look for the causes in our history of slavery and humiliation. I think that it is normal that someone with just a little responsibility would try to use that little bit of responsibility to try and improve his living conditions. I think that is human nature. (Of course I'm not speaking of top leaders, from whom I demand much more.) I can't justify it, but I understand it. I think that individual problems have become more important to people than the collective ones, and that this was when corruption leaked in. Today it is terrible, it's disastrous."
Later, he went on to say: "Today, almost 20 years later, I don't have illusions about many things. In the Angolan struggle perhaps we didn't have philosophers or sociologists, but we had the words of Neto: 'the most important thing is to solve people's problems.' Once in the Council of Ministers I heard someone say that we should stop using this phrase. I thought maybe he was right, because no one spoke out against him. In my opinion this was when the party began to collapse. The leaders felt they all had the right to be rich. That was the beginning of the destruction of our life. Our people are suffering and no one cares. If you talk to our people, they're all suffering. No one is smiling. But there's no preoccupation with this from the leadership."
Our historic responsibility
The MPLA is a party of revolution. The long years of war made it difficult for it to attend to the serious challenges that Paulo Jorge and Lucio Lara spoke about. I have no doubt that this sister movement is confronting these challenges.
Once more, as during the years of our liberation struggle, the task facing the ANC is to learn from the MPLA and study very carefully the lessons handed down to us by its leaders. At all costs we must ensure that we never create the situation when it will be said of us: "Our people are suffering and no one cares. If you talk to our people, they're all suffering. No one is smiling. But there's no preoccupation with this from the leadership."
What the great Aghostino Neto said must truly serve as our own motto - the most important thing is to solve people's problems.
This page was last updated on Friday 7 December, 2007