FREEDOM DAY: A REMINDER TO US ALL TO LEND A HAND
Written By: Saki Mokoena
United States of America ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell was given a sobering reminder of the hardships that our people went to, to attain the freedom that we enjoy today.
After being led to President Nelson Mandela’s cell by our struggle icon Tokyo Sexwale, and the grim reminder of what it took for the people of our country to unshackle themselves from the clutches of apartheid, Mr. Bozell had this to say: “…trying to fathom what it was like to be there for years, and years and years. And I can’t fathom that. If you weren’t there, you can't understand it, and I don’t pretend to understand it…”
Well he is correct, he can’t put himself in the shoes of Mandela, Sisulu, Mhlaba, Mbeki, Lekota and many of our struggle heroes. And neither can he understand what it was like for those brave men to be caged like animals for simply demanding equality in the land of their birth. As we commemorate Freedom Day, it is important to reflect on where we come from and what we have been able to achieve in a short period of time.
Apartheid truly was a monster.It took, or at least attempted to, strip our leaders of their dignity and if you dared stand up to it, those who presided over that evil system took your freedom and even your life.
Despite what certain apartheid apologists would have us believe, it (apartheid) was horrible and was correctly declared by the United Nations as a crime against humanity.
That is why, as the Free State Provincial Government under the able leadership of Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, we are doing everything in our power to bring back the dignity of our people. On a day as special as this one, I am happy that, with little resources, we have been able to provide shelter for our people.
I sleep peacefully and dare I say, I even snore, with the knowledge that Mme Moliehi Mofokeng from Bethlehem, Dihlabeng local municipality, has a house for her and her family. The same with NtateIthwa Radebe and many other beneficiaries who no longer have to suffer the indignity of staying in shacks and have beautiful houses thanks to the tireless efforts of this government.
I laugh at fear mongers like Ernst Roets and his band of backward thinking racist friends who traveled all over the world talking about a non-existent white genocide. It is unfortunate that Mr. Bozell’s boss fell for Roets’s lies line, hook and sinker. John Pierre, our white compatriot, lives in serene harmony with black people in Hillside View in Mangaung. It is not only Pierre, but plenty of white South Africans who reside in that area.
It is a sight to behold to see black and white children playing together without a worry. Given an opportunity, I would love to take Mr. Bozell to Hillside View to see Madiba’s dream of a Rainbow Nation coming alive. Freedom Day is a reminder of the many sacrifices that our people made to give birth to the South Africa we live in today.
It is worth reminding South Africans that ours was a struggle which claimed the lives of many of our people. We pay tribute to all those fallen soldiers and once again recommit our commitment to transforming our society, brick by brick. Given the scarcity of resources, it is not easy, but this is what some of us signed up for. We knew that it would not be easy. “Inzima le ndlela, inameva, iyahlaba” is our battle cry. Forward ever, backward never.
Saki Mokoena is a Member of the Executive Council responsible for Cooperate Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements in the Free State province.
