NEWS & MEDIA LETTERS FROM THE PRESIDENT

"Izimbizo contribute to building democracy"

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Last week we participated in our Seventh Provincial Imbizo. It was the turn of KwaZulu-Natal, which followed the successful interactions with the people of the Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape provinces. Despite the wet weather conditions that prevailed, our people, as with other izimbizo, turned up in their thousands. They were eager to talk to us about their life experiences. It was an opportunity they were determined not to miss.

We travelled the length and breadth of that province meeting our people who spoke to us in an honest and frank manner. As has happened in other provinces, we were determined that our people should not only ask questions, but that they should also raise suggestions as to how best we can work together with them in a people's contract to build a better life for themselves. As with the earlier izimbizo, what was evident was that our people share common concerns and problems, whatever their party political affiliation.

As we arrived in the province the leadership of our movement, the ANC, had just finished the first part of a series of meetings with the leadership of the IFP. A focal point of this interaction is the challenge to create of a climate for peace in the province. This is part of our sustained effort to ensure that we enter the elections with the people knowing that they have the freedom to vote for the party of their choice.

The political violence that so afflicted this province in the late '80s and the beginning of the '90 s must never be allowed to resurface. In all the areas we visited, it was clear to us that our people want a situation where there is free political activity and continuing stability. They want the ANC and the IFP to work together to achieve these objectives.

Even as we were having these meetings, some in the media curiously focused their fullest attention on the decision of the SABC to allow us to talk to the people of the province through the "Imbizo-on-air" on Ukhozi FM. Some even went further and condemned what they called "a free political broadcast".

They conveniently forgot to mention that this is standard practice, which was followed in all the other izimbizo we have conducted so far, to allow interaction with as many people in each province as possible.

This particular section of the media also did not mention that the Premier of the province was going to participate in the same programme, as has been the case in the other provinces. The media must have known this because a press conference had taken place, during which all these details were provided. Precisely why some persisted in this vein, we do not understand.

Perhaps our first interaction with the masses, which took place at (Tugela Ferry) at Msinga, was bound to be the centre of attention. Some in the media wrongly reported that there was an attempt to prevent us from visiting the area and that we were told that we are not welcome in the area. It has emerged that the people who originally wrote this story do not themselves speak or even understand the local languages.

It is clear that the media needs to send people who are proficient in the local languages in each area, or at least have the benefit of proper professional translation, to cover such events as izimbizo. This observation is important given the fact that the people, at home and abroad, depend on the media to inform them about such visits to provinces.

The claim that "more than a hundred men brandishing 'traditional weapons' jostled (our) entourage on its way to a meeting in KwaZulu-Natal" is simply not true.

Our first stop, in Msinga, was a tomato gardening project run by women. This is an area that is one of the poorest regions in the province. The project employs about 3,000 people of whom 80 percent are women. It is directed at assisting black women with farming skills, giving them other support and helping them with marketing opportunities. This project is also heavily dependent on water and therefore the Sampofu Water Scheme has added value to the work of these communities. The project markets its produce through a local sorting and packing facility and has enjoyed the support of the US NGO Africare.

The imbizo in this area was very successful. Our people, without exception, prefaced their contribution by thanking the government for the good work it is doing in terms of the delivery of services. They spoke about bread and butter issues such as jobs, child support grants, pensions, infrastructure development including roads, water, clinics, schools and electricity. The enthusiasm and the positive attitude of the people of Msinga was replicated throughout the province. This sets an example for our nation as a whole.

One of the interesting things raised at the Msinga imbizo was the issue of the use of cellular phones. People there raised their concerns about the gross inadequacy of the infrastructure required for these phones, and called on us to raise the issue with the service providers. This matter has now been dealt with, the providers having promptly visited the area to attend to the complaint.

Our next stop was Osizweni, next to Newcastle. Here again the people warmly received us. One of the main issues raised at this imbizo was education.

The people raised concerns that schools were charging them onerous school fees. It is clear that a lot of vigilance is required because it seems some schools push the parents to the limit. Understandably, the schools want to get the parents' contribution so that they are able to have sufficient funds for operational purposes.

Government as a whole, as well as the structures of our movement, will have to ensure that we inform our people about the fact that the system of education does make provision for schools to offer exemption to parents who cannot afford to pay fees.

It is quite clear that the prevalence of section 21 schools in the townships has resulted in a situation where the schools are using the powers they have under the law to 'force' parents to pay fees and also to pay for their own children's stationery and school books. This arrangement needs to be looked into, as it relates to poor parents. The matter was also raised in the other areas we visited such as Ingwavuma, kwaMlaba in Mahlabathini, and Gamalakhe in Harding.

In Durban, we also had the usual interaction with the opinion makers of the province. These were men and women who come from all walks of life of the province. Again the people spoke openly and candidly. Among other things, they raised the issue of jobs that have been lost or are to be lost in the ship- building industry, and the level of decay of the central business districts of some of our towns and cities.

They called on the government to expand the successful Gauteng on-line schools project to other provinces. They called for greater patriotism among the civil servants. Others called for the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) to enable the small independent print media to gain access to independent printing facilities. There was a call for women to be appointed to the provincial cabinet.

Because this imbizo had not succeeded to generate ideas from the broad leadership of the people of the province that was present, we agreed that the imbizo should reconvene at a later date.

Ingwavuma occupies an important place in the history of struggle. Many brave activists used this region in order to advance the struggle for freedom against racist tyranny. We had received appeals from the people of this area to pay them a visit. In fact, Ingwavuma was not on our original list of places to be covered during this imbizo visit to the province. But it was of importance to go there both to salute past valour and hear the views of the people in an area that had suffered from almost total neglect for a long time.

To address the consequences of this history, our government has declared Ingwavuma as one of the rural development nodes within our Programme of Integrated and Sustainable Rural Development. It is also in this context that this visit was important.

Here we were able to listen to the people raising their concerns about the dispute involving the Mngomezulu clan. It was also reported that people from across the border in Swaziland come to the region to take out South African identity documents, which they then use to gain access to the social grants provided by our government.

The important issue of citizenship particularly in this part of the world is not a new thing. It has been an issue for a long time. The government has to deal with this matter - affecting the Mngomezulu clan - in a way that ensures that we are able to unite the people of the area.

The issue is important. Allegations made about people who are not South Africans benefiting from our services cannot go without investigation. Equally, we need to make sure that people do not just make allegations on the basis of hearsay. They have to be encouraged to come forward with concrete information and avoid the temptation of falling victim to xenophobia.

Moreover, the history of our region in Africa is such that there are people with the same surname (and even close relatives) who live on both sides of the border. The geopolitics of colonialism and apartheid account for this.

The last but one area that we visited was kwaMlaba in Mahlabathini. This is an area that is dear to the hearts of the Zulu nation. It is in this area where the major battles were fought against the colonial armies and where many Kings and outstanding traditional leaders are buried. Here a number of issues were raised that relate to matters that were being discussed by the delegations of the ANC and IFP. Nevertheless, the bulk of the issues raised were similar to those mentioned in other rural areas both in KZN and elsewhere in our country.

However, we must also make the point that the very fact that we were able to have open and frank exchanges with the people of this area says a lot about how far we have gone in engendering a culture of tolerance for different views and open engagement between people and government.

The behaviour of the people of kwaMlaba and the reception and political tolerance displayed by the people of Gamalakhe in Harding are reminders that we must never allow any area in KZN and the country to become a no-go-area. Political parties should be able freely to campaign in any part of our country, coming and going as freely as we were able to move around KZN and other provinces.

The people of Gamalakhe, as was the case with the people of KwaMlaba, raised the important issue of the distribution of food parcels. Some people had objected to the manner in which this is being done. Others made the allegations that they were distributed in a manner that favoured some political parties. Of great importance was the fact that the people insisted that they needed to be assisted to grow their own food rather than rely on food parcels supplied by the Department of Social Development.

The KZN imbizo, our last one before the elections, has confirmed the need for ongoing interaction between government and people. It emphasised the correctness of our view that we should not relate to the people by visiting them for a few hours merely to launch projects and thereafter go back to Pretoria or our provincial and local capitals.

We will continue these engagements with the people after the elections. It is the right approach. It produces measurable results both for the people and the government, expands the possibility for the people to determine their destiny and further entrenches our democratic system, building on the imbizo traditions of our pre-colonial societies.

We must also take this opportunity to thank His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, who received us at his palace at Ulundi, welcomed us to KZN as we arrived in the province, and sensitised us to the concerns of the people in the province. Wena wendlovu! Bayethe!