This year marks the 107th anniversary of the founding of the African National Congress, dedicated to the liberation of South Africa and the African people of our continent.
This anniversary bears special significance as it comes in a year that we prepare for the sixth national general elections of our democratic dispensation. It is an opportunity to take stock of how far we have come on our journey of building a better life for all our people, black and white.
As we reflect on the many meritorious achievements over the two-and-a-half decades and celebrate this, we likewise pause and look across the vista and observe “that we have as yet many hills to climb and our journey is far from over”.
This year we go to our people seeking to renew their faith, commitment and dedication to the ANC.
We do so acknowledging that we have made many mistakes on this journey but remain firm in our conviction that the programme and policies of our movement and our broad alliance remain the only viable option to realistically achieve the aspirations and dreams of all our people.
Our conviction is not based on whimsical grounds but lies in the profound legacy of leadership bequeathed to us by giants of our nation in every generation since the ANC’s founding in 1912.
We celebrate this 107th anniversary of the ANC as we commence the Nelson Mandela Decade declared by the African Union (2019-2029), and we say to the people of South Africa, Africa and the world that we remain committed to the great legacy of the father of our nation and global icon of justice, international solidarity and peace.
This commitment requires of us as a nation, black and white, to put South Africa first. It is imperative for our collective wellbeing that we diligently continue to pursue Madiba’s vision of nation- building, national reconciliation and social cohesion. The past year has seen serious challenges to this vision including the pandemic of corruption, land grabs in the guise of restitution and violence afflicting the most vulnerable in our communities across South Africa.
The anniversary gathering must give voice to our people’s cries that we have had enough of corruption and the debilitating effect it has in undermining confidence in our government and on its ability to deliver.
We call on our leadership to continue to give expression to the ANC’s programme of land reform by seeking innovative models of engagement with affected communities and individuals. This is a critical year to take forward this agenda and we do so best by pursuing a process that is inclusive and transparent and stands up to the constitutional imperative to protect the rights and dignity of all South Africans.
In celebrating this milestone marking the beginning of the Nelson Mandela Decade we are distressed by the continued incidents of violence perpetrated against the most vulnerable in our society: the elderly, women and children. We must turn the tide in this fight by being more vigilant as communities, by greater cooperation with law enforcement agencies and by making special interventions against gangsterism and organised crime.
During this ANC anniversary we should reaffirm Africa's indebtedness to the International Solidarity Movement for our triumph against colonial occupation. We remain vociferous and unequivocal in our support for the struggling masses of the world that continue to languish under occupation.
The plight of the Palestinians now entering 71 years since the Nakba and the continued illegal expansion of apartheid Israel settlements on occupied Palestinian land remains an indictment on the conscience of all freedom-loving people around the world. We must continue to support this struggle on all fronts and especially call on the ANC and our broader alliance to intensify our efforts in leading the movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against apartheid Israel.
The struggle of the brave Sahrawi people remains uppermost in our minds and we will continue to advocate for the immediate withdrawal of Morocco from the occupied lands of the Sahrawi people and the implementation of UN resolutions calling for the referendum of self-determination of this former Spanish colony.
The continued suffering, torture and acts of violence against the people of occupied Kashmir is indefensible. Their right to self-determination is sacrosanct and a fundamental human right under international law.
The continued genocide and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar is evidence of the barbaric and inhumane treatment being meted out to this ethnic minority. We call for the immediate cessation of this horrific crime against humanity and for those responsible to be brought to the International Criminal Court.
The continued plight of the Kurdish people across five countries in the Middle East is cause for concern as they continue to be denied fundamental human rights.
The suffering, loss of life, decimation of property and human dignity across the globe is unprecedented in modern history. These suffering masses have become pawns in the conflicting struggles for regional and global power. The ANC must continue to be a voice for the voiceless and a pillar of moral conscience wherever there is human suffering.
Let us make this 107th ANC anniversary and the start of the Nelson Mandela Decade a watershed moment in which we recommit to the values for which Nkosi Dalibhunga dedicated his life.
Mandla Mandela is an ANC MP...