The year 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the birth of the United Democratic Front (UDF), a behemoth that arguably delivered the killer blow to apartheid, having taken up the fight for the liberation of this country from where the banned liberation movements had left off.
Various media platforms have lately seen the re-emergence of some leaders of that near-mythical era of the Struggle, when the people were truly the centre of the war fought against an evil system that was apartheid. Figures such as Murphy Morobe and Popo Molefe, who were among a courageous cortege of leadership that faced the might of apartheid at its height and, with the 20-20 vision of hindsight, reflect on the mistakes made.
Molefe was a guest on a radio show where people fondly recalled the UDF's heydays. The show took a reflective posture as to what had gone wrong with the democracy project in SA today and the general consensus was that it was mistake to dismantle the UDF and hand over the responsibility of building a fair, just and equal society to the returning liberation forces, in particular the ANC, which took over government.
The UDF was a mass-based bottom-up organisation that was ingrained in the very communities in which it existed in form of such structures as street committees, etc.
Molefe spoke of the need to revive the spirit and ethos of the UDF, which thrived on a participatory, people-centered democracy that sought and got the solutions to the challenges facing communities.
It is noble idea. As a nation, it feels like we are being pummelled from every angle by a never-ending flood of problems. The sentiment is that now is the time to summon the kind of fightback the people exacted on apartheid and triumphed.
The enemy today is not always as defined as apartheid but is multi-facetted and perhaps as formidable. On Monday, Sowetan highlighted a typical problem that has been left to fester. Ambulances are targeted by criminals once they answer a call, the paramedics and crew are robbed.
The attacks have been so regular that the authorities have drawn up a list of areas they have classified as hotspots where paramedics need police escort to enter those neighbourhoods.
We see it as an area where Struggle-era street committees could be revived in communities and the UDFsque participation of the people re-ignited. These types of crime don't happen in a vacuum and an involved community would know what is going on and such intelligence must be put to good use. It is way better than having shortlists of no-go areas.
SOWETAN | Put people at centre of governance
Image: Rashid Lombard
The year 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the birth of the United Democratic Front (UDF), a behemoth that arguably delivered the killer blow to apartheid, having taken up the fight for the liberation of this country from where the banned liberation movements had left off.
Various media platforms have lately seen the re-emergence of some leaders of that near-mythical era of the Struggle, when the people were truly the centre of the war fought against an evil system that was apartheid. Figures such as Murphy Morobe and Popo Molefe, who were among a courageous cortege of leadership that faced the might of apartheid at its height and, with the 20-20 vision of hindsight, reflect on the mistakes made.
Molefe was a guest on a radio show where people fondly recalled the UDF's heydays. The show took a reflective posture as to what had gone wrong with the democracy project in SA today and the general consensus was that it was mistake to dismantle the UDF and hand over the responsibility of building a fair, just and equal society to the returning liberation forces, in particular the ANC, which took over government.
The UDF was a mass-based bottom-up organisation that was ingrained in the very communities in which it existed in form of such structures as street committees, etc.
Molefe spoke of the need to revive the spirit and ethos of the UDF, which thrived on a participatory, people-centered democracy that sought and got the solutions to the challenges facing communities.
It is noble idea. As a nation, it feels like we are being pummelled from every angle by a never-ending flood of problems. The sentiment is that now is the time to summon the kind of fightback the people exacted on apartheid and triumphed.
The enemy today is not always as defined as apartheid but is multi-facetted and perhaps as formidable. On Monday, Sowetan highlighted a typical problem that has been left to fester. Ambulances are targeted by criminals once they answer a call, the paramedics and crew are robbed.
The attacks have been so regular that the authorities have drawn up a list of areas they have classified as hotspots where paramedics need police escort to enter those neighbourhoods.
We see it as an area where Struggle-era street committees could be revived in communities and the UDFsque participation of the people re-ignited. These types of crime don't happen in a vacuum and an involved community would know what is going on and such intelligence must be put to good use. It is way better than having shortlists of no-go areas.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Related articles
Latest Videos