However, as the regime kept poking its finger into the eyes of those, they were oppressing in the form of trying to enforce Afrikaans as a medium of instruction the BC pumped up school pupils, caused an explosion that brought apartheid to its knees in the latter part of the 70s. But rather than engage the people behind such explosion the regime went on to look for those aspiring for human rights to cut a deal that would not disrupt their standing while breaking the isolation that squeezed their economy as a result of the BC-inspired Soweto uprisings of June 1976.
With the powerful media behind them the quest for human rights was catapulted as top of the objective of struggle and regardless of the petty aspect of apartheid having been incrementally removed from the late 70s, it is made as though all came with the acquisition of the franchise in 1994.
What remains of the original objective is a confused play with words around the expropriation of land without compensation. The induction of African people with self-love, self-confidence, self-belief and aspiration to be the best and enablement to contribute to the general advancement of the world is completely removed from the agenda even by those that purport to be holding on to BC. In some quarters any reference to programmes that can advance black people is regarded as reverse discrimination.
This include even fake programmes like BEE, Affirmative Action which are not about empowering black people but magnifying dependence of black people on white people or enabling huge material acquisition on the basis of being connected rather than on your skill and creativity as achievement.
Obviously with benefit to only a few. No leverage on black buying power to enhance black created and owned business. Then you hear a politician coming out of a R4m chauffeur-driven motor vehicle in a run-down place of squalor, to tell people that his gang is responsible for the freedom they enjoy today. They crowd cheers and go back to their shacks with party T-shirt.
Only freedom from the strangulation of a battered mindset can be said to be liberation.
Dr Mosalakae is Sowetan reader
KENOSI MOSALAKAE | True liberation cannot be attained through projects like BEE
There seems to be no consensus among Africans, the people who were dispossessed of their land and subjected to conditions that made them not recognise themselves as full human beings, as to what constitutes their oppression.
Conversely, there is no common understanding of what was being fought for or what comprises real liberation. While the kings in the olden days fought to resist capture of their land, the colonisers just went on to draw borders forcing into existence an amalgamated unit that was called the Union of SA.
The idea to come together as one regardless of nationality then surfaced. The aim being to fight as one as their parts of the land had been made as single entity under a unitary government. At the same time some had been exposed to colonisers’ education and they began to imbibe concepts such as equality, human rights, democracy etc.
This blinded the crowd such as the ANC which moved from "Mayibuye iAfrika" to "equal rights" as the objective of the struggle in the mid-50s. Africanists walked out to form the PAC to pursue the land repossession agenda. The regime "crushed" both in the rising 60s.
Fear suffocated the people. In the late 60s the Black Consciousness Movement (BC/BCM) emerged addressing itself to the condition of the black person at the time. Therefore, the focus was on the black people’s awakening rather than a direct confrontation with the regime.
However, as the regime kept poking its finger into the eyes of those, they were oppressing in the form of trying to enforce Afrikaans as a medium of instruction the BC pumped up school pupils, caused an explosion that brought apartheid to its knees in the latter part of the 70s. But rather than engage the people behind such explosion the regime went on to look for those aspiring for human rights to cut a deal that would not disrupt their standing while breaking the isolation that squeezed their economy as a result of the BC-inspired Soweto uprisings of June 1976.
With the powerful media behind them the quest for human rights was catapulted as top of the objective of struggle and regardless of the petty aspect of apartheid having been incrementally removed from the late 70s, it is made as though all came with the acquisition of the franchise in 1994.
What remains of the original objective is a confused play with words around the expropriation of land without compensation. The induction of African people with self-love, self-confidence, self-belief and aspiration to be the best and enablement to contribute to the general advancement of the world is completely removed from the agenda even by those that purport to be holding on to BC. In some quarters any reference to programmes that can advance black people is regarded as reverse discrimination.
This include even fake programmes like BEE, Affirmative Action which are not about empowering black people but magnifying dependence of black people on white people or enabling huge material acquisition on the basis of being connected rather than on your skill and creativity as achievement.
Obviously with benefit to only a few. No leverage on black buying power to enhance black created and owned business. Then you hear a politician coming out of a R4m chauffeur-driven motor vehicle in a run-down place of squalor, to tell people that his gang is responsible for the freedom they enjoy today. They crowd cheers and go back to their shacks with party T-shirt.
Only freedom from the strangulation of a battered mindset can be said to be liberation.
Dr Mosalakae is Sowetan reader