PAC President Clarence Makwetu used Sharpeville Day to remind people that nothing much had changed in South Africa. This is an edited version of his speech
The day Comrade Mandela was inaugurated in May last year, we watched with interest the fly-past. Here was the South African air force demonstrating its might. Here was the outgoing racist regime showing its military power to the rest of the world.
Most of the audience at the Union Buildings clapped hands, ululating, completely oblivious of the fact that the planes flying above us were the very squadrons that had on numerous occasions been used by the boers to bomb Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and Botswana to maintain the status quo in our country.
And it is possible that in that very crowd at the Union Buildings were victims who had suffered at the hands of the boer bombing.
Hleze silibale. Lest we forget. This was one of our slogans when we launched our anti-pass campaign on this day in 1960, which led to the Sharpeville massacre.
I am saying this because I stand here to address you today with sadness in my heart. Not because of some natural disaster we were not warned about, but because of the warnings our countrymen chose not to heed.
Almost a year ago today, our country acquired a new government — a government of national unity led by a section of the former oppressed majority. Our country also acquired a new flag.
Of course they compromised on the national anthem, and members of the new government, those drawn from the ranks of the oppressed moved into big mansions in former so-called white suburbs.
PAC founder Robert Sobukwe indicated that in the new Africa there should not be a Lower Houghton for whites and a Soweto for Africans. Instead there should be one Azania.
It is with sadness that I look around and see what is happening within our democratically elected government.
There were a number of promises made, including the most significant one, the provision of much-needed houses for our people. Needless to say we have seen very little of that.
People were promised jobs, free education, free health care etc. Nowadays, our people are told by the very people who had made these promises not to have high expectations.
When are expectations high or low? People want to know: from what have they been liberated? — that is — if they have been liberated.
They say they are asking these questions because, before April 27 they had no food, no jobs, no houses, no education, no land. After April 27, to be precise on 21st March 1995, they still have none of these things. >From what have they been liberated?
Some very senior members of the government have openly questioned the sincerity and resolve of this very government they are serving, on the issue of addressing the fight of the suffering African majority.
The issue of corruption in high places has again reared its ugly head; yet we had accused the former white racist regime of the same malady.
I should remind you that most of the things that now beset the new rulers are things or issues that we had warned against even before the advent of Codesa in 1991.
We warned you against those parties which promise you a land of milk and honey on the day after the elections. We said they were misleading you.
We said the PAC was promising you the truth and only the truth. And we said the truth is that a lot of hard work lies ahead of us, and also said that it will require the efforts of every of one of us to bring about the kind of non-racial democracy for which our people have lived and died.
All along, even at the multi-party talks at Kempton Park, the PAC advised against a forced coalition, a coalition that is today dubbed as a Government of National Unity. Our contention was that the majority party would be compromised by the policies of the coalition partner, a partner whose policies may be totally different from the winning party.
Indeed, this has happened. The present majority party in the GNU is unable to deliver because it is being held hostage by its junior partner, whose constituency has, for all these years benefited from apartheid.
And as long as GNU exists they will continue benefiting. Until when, O Lord?
To crown it all, a very senior member of that organisation has now realised what we had been saying all along, and has started questioning openly this “wisdom”. And what does she get for that? No, not a “thank you” for pointing out these things, but a dressing down, a police raid, and a threat with expulsion.
If we read our history with understanding, two forces stand out distinctively as having played a leading role in our struggle against oppression and exploitation. These two are the Azanian People’s Liberation Army and Umkhonto weSizwe. They both paid the supreme sacrifice.
For this they have been rewarded with imprisonment and detention. The PAC is demanding once more the unconditional release of all APLA, MK and other political prisoners.
Nowadays all political parties and civic associations are gearing themselves for local government elections. They are doing this because they know that these elections are the elections that will bring them nearer to the people.
They are doing this because they know that winning local government elections means winning the hearts of the ordinary people. They know that it means interacting with the masses on a daily basis. It means delivery of services will be entrusted in the hands of the party that emerges victorious.
No party worth its name would take these coming elections lightly.
The PAC therefore has to brace itself for a bitter struggle ahead. The PAC should lead the way on voter registration. No party should waste its time campaigning without ascertaining whether there is a proper register for voters to participate in the October elections.
We are appealing to you therefore to move from door to door explaining to our people why it is necessary for them to register. Because without their names appearing on the voters roll they cannot take part in the October elections. Yet they must all vote.
If they do not participate who will put across their point of view when local issues are decided upon. I am certain that all of you assembled here need schools, clinics, good roads, removal of garbage etc. These are the issues that are dealt with at local government level.