South African President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday cited fears about the ”diminution” of Afrikaans as an issue that the ruling African National Congress should address in leading the country’s social transformation.
While many may contest the assertion that the language is being marginalised, ”we have to recognise the fact that it is a matter of concern to some of our people, and must therefore be addressed”, he told the opening of the ANC’s national general council (NGC) meeting at the University of Pretoria.
He pointed to an ideal in the ANC’s Freedom Charter that all people should have equal rights to use their own language and develop their own folk culture and customs.
”It may very well be that the Afrikaans issue is arising in the way it is, as a nascent protest movement, because of our failure to address it as we should, consistent with the vision spelt out by the Freedom Charter.”
The language issue, affecting all languages in the country, is an important part of the ”national question” that has to be put on the NGC’s agenda, Mbeki said.
It related directly to the challenge of creating a non-racial society.
”We have to engage the language issue more vigorously and systematically as an important part of the profound process of social transformation which our movement leads.”
Another matter Mbeki singled out for urgent action was socio-economic transformation — problems with which recently came to the fore with countrywide protests against perceived slow delivery of services like housing and sanitation.
”Whether rightly or wrongly, the municipal demonstrations have been inspired by the grievance among some of our poorest communities that they have been excluded from access to [a] better life.”
This suggested the country had not made as much progress as it should have, the president said.
”We must therefore treat these demonstrations as a challenge to us, actually to give concrete expression to our undertaking to work within communities and within government, playing our part in forging the people’s contract for a better South Africa.”
Mbeki stressed the importance of communities themselves becoming involved in the effort.
”We are opposed to the demobilisation of the people, transforming them into an inactive mass that simply awaits ‘delivery’ of a better life, with no involvement in the process of determining its future.”
Mbeki said it had to be asked: What should ANC structures do, beginning at branch level, to accomplish the tasks defining the current stage of what he termed the national democratic revolution.
”One of our answers to this question is that we must enter into a partnership with all sections of our population, forming a people’s contract with them, so that they do not see themselves and behave merely as protesters, but fully understand the historic opportunity they have to be part of the conscious army of builders of a people-centred society.”
The four-day NGC meeting is to review ANC policies and tactics ahead of its next national conference in 2007. It will focus on progress with achieving a non-racial, non-sexist society; eradicating poverty and under-development; and boosting social cohesion. It would also focus on what needed to be done to strengthen the party to achieve these goals.
Mbeki stressed the trust and confidence the masses of South Africa are placing in the ANC’s will and capacity to take the country forward, saying the party must not disappoint them.
”We must take our obligation [seriously] to continue to listen and hear the voices of all our people, including those who are not members of our movement.”
The main challenges, the president said, was boosting the ”second economy”, and improving the capacity and effectiveness of the development-focused government.
The meeting got off to a slow start, as problems with accreditation resulted in the late arrival of many delegations.
Frustrated delegates and journalists had to wait for hours at the registration point for their accreditation cards, and much pushing and shoving ensued.
Some of the delegates used the waiting time at the conference venue to show their support for ousted former deputy president Jacob Zuma, chanting ”Zuma for president” in Zulu. Some wore T-shirts with the words ”Innocent until proven guilty”.
When Mbeki arrived with Zuma at his side, however, the full hall chanted Mbeki’s name in unison.
The president’s opening address is to be followed by an organisational report by ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe. – Sapa