"Many of his friends did not get an opportunity to apologise before they died, and he must consider himself lucky and use the opportunity for his soul to rest peacefully before it is too late" - AZAPO
"This is a case of insensitivity at its worst" - the Sowetan newspaper in an editorial .
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Nelson Mandela
Apparently seeking to draw attention to itself, an obscure group that identifies itself as the youth league of the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO) has early this week called on former South African president and world statesmen, Mr. Nelson Mandela, to apologise to the South African people "before he dies" for "selling out black people's struggle."
In statement, the president of the league, Mr. Amukelani Ngobeni, said that if Mandela dies without rendering the apology, he would be denied eternal peace. According to him, Mandela and his fellow anti-Apartheid activists had sold "out black people's struggle through the secret talks [they had undertaken] with the apartheid government."
Sowetan newspaper reported yesterday that Mr. Ngobeni had alleged that "Mandela entered into secret talks and agreed on a compromised constitution which today makes it very difficult, or almost impossible, for government to deliver in its duties to service the citizens."
Nelson Mandela With Michelle Obama
"Many of his [Mandela's] friends did not get an opportunity to apologise before they died, and he must consider himself lucky and use the opportunity for his soul to rest peacefully before it is too late", Mr. Ngobeni said.
According to him: "Mandela and his friends were excited and could not wait to occupy the global political space at the expense of the struggle for complete political, social and economic emancipation." He added that he and his organisation were closely monitoring information and developments about Mandela's state of health.
Reacting to Mr. Ngobeni's assertions, Sello Hatang, spokesman to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said that Mandela had always insisted that "that he was always acting as part of the collective." He would rather the African National Congress (ANC) react to Ngobeni's allegations. The ANC spokesman, Keith Khoza, however, has said that his party would not dignify Mr. Ngobeni's statement with any comment, according to the Sowetan.
In an editorial which appeared today, the Sowetan described Mr. Ngobeni's outburst as an unambiguous advertisement of "of insensitivity at its worst." The paper advised him to offer without delay an unreserved apology to Nelson Mandela for his atrocious comments. The editorial is reproduced below:
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It is sad that this fellow is, perhaps, seeking to rake in cheap popularity by dragging the name Nelson Mandela and the sacefice he made to secure freedom for South Africans in the mud. For a man that wasted 27 years of his life in prison because of his belief that his people deserves to be treated with dignity in their country to be so savagely attacked is most unfortunate. This is overly scandalous and somebody should hasten to ask the young man to apologise to Mandela before it is too late. I hope no one shows this piece of gibberish to Mandela.
ReplyDelete"Should Mandela “Apologize” Before He Dies? (1)"
ReplyDeleteBy Tiisetso Makhele
Through its president, Amukelani Ngobeni, AZAPO Youth argues, quite hysterically, that Mandela would not have peace should he die without having apologised for "selling out black people's struggle" through secret talks he held with the apartheid government.
"Many of his friends did not get [ the] opportunity to apologise before they died and he must consider himself lucky and use the opportunity for his soul to rest peacefully, before it is too late", Ngobeni reportedly said.
Apart from sharp knacks of a populist harangue and disrespect for elders, Ngobeni and the youth brigade of AZAPO provide no reason why Mandela or the broad ANC-led mass democratic movement owes them, or any South African, an apology. That South Africa has deep seated challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty is not to be debated. And that South Africa has made serious strides in governance, socio-economic development, and nation-building since 1994 is also beyond any reasonable debate.
For AZAPO Youth to drag the name of the former head of state is poor politicking and blasphemous. It is an indication of the consequences of being part of a political party that is facing demise. Ngobeni and the entire leadership of Azapo Youth must apologize to Mandela, his family, the ANC, and all other South Africans for this irresponsible statement. It is dangerous for them to seek popularity at the expense of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
It is not clear whether Ngobeni is suffering from forgetfulness, or is simply using selective memory to assume a pop star position. But, in any case, the following points are important to teach him some basic political lessons.
Firstly, it is important for us to remind Ngobeni that South Africa’s transition to democracy was very delicate and yet complex. To avert an imminent bloodshed, the negotiators on both sides made immense compromises. Part of the compromises that were made, which was necessary, was to ensure that those who owned properties like land, houses, vehicles, etc., retained those rights. The goal was to implement a gradual and phased redistribution of wealth to the previously disenfranchised. Though happening at a slow pace, the latter process is happening.
Secondly, Ngobeni may or may not have forgotten that, up until 2008, the president of AZAPO, Mosibudi Mangena, served as minister in the government which he today insults without any amount of shame. Between 2004 and 2008, Mangena served as minister and deputy minister of Science & Technology and Education departments respectively. That AZAPO today is a shadow of its former self is no excuse for its leaders to fire like loose cannons and, in the process, hit at institutions where they themselves have played an active part.
Thirdly, thanks to the ANC, to which Mandela remains loyal, Ngobeni can today utter the gibberish that he has without being labelled an enemy of the state. The institutions of the state which Ngobeni lambastes shall always protect his freedom of speech, despite the amounts of insults and blasphemy coming out of his mouth. So he must actually praise, rather than clobber with infamy, Mandela and the ANC.
Lastly, as president of South Africa, Mandela was part of a collective that included leaders of the ANC and other political parties. Mandela’s cabinet included leaders of reactionary political parties like Inkatha Freedom Party (Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Home Affairs minister), Nationalist Party (FW de Klerk, deputy president), etc. And Mandela remained a deployee of the ANC who was tasked with implementing ANC policy at government. To single him out is tantamount to foul play. So Ngubeni is guilty of playing the man, rather than the ball, in this instance.
http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Should-Mandela-apologize-before-he-dies-20120613
"Should Mandela “Apologize” Before He Dies?(2)"
ReplyDeleteBy Tiisetso Makhele
...It is therefore clear that Ngobeni’s arguments are fundamentally flawed. And his request that Mandela apologize is not only unreasonable, but is also sick. Ngobeni’s assertion that they are following “with interest developments around Mandela’s health” has exposed a sickness in his mind.
In Sesotho we would say “O photholehile”, literally meaning that his evil wishes have been exposed for all to see. If there is anyone who must apologize for anything, it is Ngobeni for hoping and wishing for another human being’s death. Rather than try to gain cheap popularity using Mandela’s name, Ngobeni must focus on building his defunct political party, AZAPO.
SOURCE:http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Should-Mandela-apologize-before-he-dies-20120613
Take time to visit Mahikeng and you will see the full extent of the wanton destruction that Mandela's fiendish ANC are busy inflicting on South Africa's black psyche. Hailed by many pre-1994 as evidence of what a black man could achieve, now it is filthy, disgusting and quite frankly resembles a pigsty. Mandela and his niggardly ANC should most definately apologise!
ReplyDeleteANC must not dignify this nonsesnse with a response.Assuming that Mandela and company compromized the liberation through the so called secret talks, then surely 18 years on , what have the Ngobenis of SA done to rectify the situation, other than seeing a half empty glass?
ReplyDeleteHow does he know that Mandela is going to die before him. Maybe he must apologise to Mandela for this statement before either of them dies.
ReplyDeleteANC is doing the right thing for not responding to a drunker like Ngobeni, because by doing that it will be glorifing a stuperd statement by so called AZAPO youthless league. People should remember that this are the statement made by people who don`t have directions. How can Mandela stays in prison for 27 years for just for selling black and white people. At that time it was not appropriate to talk about the land issues since that will cause a civil war in the country. So the transition was to develop a constitution that will satisfy both the parties, meaning a win-win situation, not a loso-win or lose-lose situation as that will drive a country in civil war. So Mandela and other people are not sell out as claim by uneducated youthless AZAPO.
ReplyDeleteWhat do these youngsters know about the situation around 1994 ? Nelson Mandela did not act on his own, the whole ANC leadership stood behind him in the negotiations at Kempton Park. The uneducated young brats are not even worthy of mentioning Mandela's name, they should be told to shut the f up.
ReplyDelete1994 brought democracy and a constitutional order, with reasonable affirmative action and land restitution measures specifically built in. It is simply a wuestion of implementing those measures efficiently and fairly, in a healthy econo9mic climate, and the previously oppressed will start to see the fruits of liberation. The problem is that this ANC government is not up to the task, the problem is not the 1994 settlement.
Mandela has done his bit: Let AZAPO youths commence theirs and stop making Mandela's peaceful handshake across the divides of apartheid as their sorry excuse for AZAPO's own failures. Talk about an affront on history! Shame on AZAPO youths!
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