Creating unity in South Africa
THERE was a positive vibe when South Africans gathered in Kliptown, Soweto, to share ideas on how to create unity in the country since many delegates felt such dialogues were long overdue in a country characterised by racial undertones and intolerance.
SEEKING COHESION: President Jacob Zuma, Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile and DA leader and Western Cape premier Helen Zille during a Social Cohesion Summit held at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown. The theme of the event was 'Working Together to Create a Caring and Proud Society'. PHOTO: BAFANA MAHLANGUThere appeared to be consensus at the social cohesion summit that the longer the government takes to resolve problems of poverty, unemployment and inequality, divisions along racial lines will persist.
"We kill each other because we're angry with each other, thinking others (whites) are superior. The others are just victims," a delegate, Marilyn Sibiya, said on the sidelines of the summit hosted by the Department of Arts and Culture.
"A summit of this nature is long overdue ... people want this because poverty is biting into them and the answer is social cohesion. All the programmes of development rely on social cohesion.
"We are saying let's know each other, understand each other and cooperate. We can't do that by riding on existing government programmes," Sibiya said.
Other views coming from guests was that as much as the summit could be seen as another "talk shop" of the government, it was in fact a step in the right direction towards realising the South African Dream -- a non-racist, non-sexist, non-discriminatory and prosperous nation.
"I don't think its just a talk shop if you look at policies that have come forth. This thing has been there for a long time," national policing board secretary Kevin Pilay said.
"It didn't start today, it started in 2009. The mere fact that we see different groups of people here shows that there is a concerted effort to make this work."
Department of Justice director-general Nonkululeko Sindane admitted the end result would not necessarily be that everyone's needs will be fulfilled.
"It's impossible ... we can't find everything to make everyone happy. But the summit will have to narrow down the deliverables for this social cohesive project," she said.
In his keynote address President Jacob Zuma highlighted concern over the marginalisation of indigenous languages and the need to promote indigenous knowledge systems.
"Languages must be treated as equal and we must afford them the necessary respect," he sai.
"This is an important step in building an inclusive society that belongs to all who live in it."
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Comments
SeshegoGuY
What a waste of Tax-payers' MoneyWe should've held a summit on Education at least
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DjEp
This Zuma is quick to act on language issue than billions of rands his Cde are pocketing dialy! i would have liked him to be in Limpopo making sure my kids gets books when they open nextweek than siting next to Zille in Kliptown. It doesnt matter Msholozi you are no good leader at all, you can forget my vote.Report Abuse
Neon
Ag shaim, what alot of bulldust. Thanks to Malema and Kwere Kwere Lamola this country is 10 steps back. The Anc cannot discipline it's members.Report Abuse
MicaParis
This is brilliant as far as engaging social and cultural diversionary issues surrounding our country and we need our Government to urgently resolve economic and social imbalances. Governments around the world face a number of challenges in meeting the changing expectations and needs of their citizens South Africa is not an exception to that general challenge. As a solution responses to these challenges typically include setting up and delivering service delivery reforms, fiscal management, seeking to operate more effectively, efficiently and openly and developing new capabilities for civil society participation, partnership and strict resource management. As a countries in transition South Africa still need to redefine the role of the state in economic activity by combining a single component of hardcore economic statute to solve the combined cluster of economic legislation we currently have without any clear direction. As a solution to this we must work towards greater social economic empowerment in multi-ethnic societies. A further challenge relates to improving the interaction between local, regional and national levels of government in order to ensure greater responsiveness, efficiency, transparency and participation. Our country face major challenges of fiscal resources and revenue mobilization, resource allocation to address poverty and achievement of the millennium development goals, embarrassing public financial and expenditure management, civil society participation and the fight against corruption!. A key responsibility of the executive council must be insurance of governance excellence in their departments to debate and resolve common problematic concerns but normally they respond by doing the opposite as they control the acceleration of corruption , how sad for our country! . Social transformation must be initiated to address governance issues surrounding governance reform, whole-of-government trends, collaborative working arrangements and strict financial and public monetary safeguard.Report Abuse
DJWinner
People are so racist and tribalist in this country. It will take more than just this simple talk to get people together. I mean, the majority of land and economy are still in the hands of white of males. Black people remain poor and whites contunue to get richer. This issue has to be addressed for a racial unity. As for a tribalism, people don't travel in South Africa. Sotho people don't go to Eastern Cape and KZN, while EC and KZN don't go to Sotho dominated provinces. So, people don't understand each other. There are people in KZN who still can't distinguish between a Sotho, Nigerian or Venda. To them, they all sound the same.Report Abuse
DjEp
@MicaParisGood morning to you Sis' but i must say i disagree with you big time. This is not where the President should waste his energy. There are strategic issues and departments which the President must inteverne personaly, eg books issue in Limpopo,half built RDP houses,the non ending Gauteng freeways improvement,etc.
I dont see what value does sitting in Kliptown adds axcept to wasting our hard earned cash unnecesarily.
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Neon
Sorry DJ winner it is not that simple to say that "blacks remain poor" and "whites get richer" For 18 years the Anc goverment as helped it's self to the pap pot too much,leaving nothing for the poor. Now all of a sudden they are waking up, and guess who gets the blame? the bad old whites again.Report Abuse
GODESS
LOL***no commentReport Abuse
januswanus
The electorate shot themselves in the foot simple. The apartheid government worked for the whites as we claim neh, why can't the current government work for the previously disadvantaged. Problem the corruption that is there and people not accounting for their evil deeds is what takes the majority of the down. If the membership of the ruling party is above the constitution of this country to the extent that it protects you from prosecution in case of your evil deeds then forget it. Change the tendering system where supplier determine prices than having government set market prices. You can have a billion Rands budget for the year yep but if you buy one memory sticker for R2500 each because the service provider quoted less then forget about service delivery. The chiefs must also stop putting their hands illegally in the cookie pots.Even if we say we need to understand each other that is just a dream because personally there are people I prefer to associate myself with not every Martha sick and paul. Otherwise create another circus of truth and reconciliation commission on economy. There is no way that people will take their livelihood and give it to others. Government must just commit itself. Stop the corruption. The limpopo education, health, etc problems is more than what it looks like as we suspect a Pedi cabal that tries to amass itself with wealth to fund itself for political power at a later stage with a with of one of them becoming a president. The tribalism claim the is just a way of crying victims as if the zulus at the moment consider themselves superior to create a diversion so we do nt focus on the core problems in that province. Just a cheap propaganda.
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DJWinner
NeonSorry DJ winner it is not that simple to say that "blacks remain poor" and "whites get richer" For 18 years the Anc goverment as helped it's self to the pap pot too much,leaving nothing for the poor. Now all of a sudden they are waking up, and guess who gets the blame? the bad old whites again.
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I don't disagree that ANC also has to take some blame because of its slowness, but the economy and land are the main issues here. As long as white people continue to refuse to share, these issues will not go away.
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