Number 18, June 2003
Feature Theme. A Tribute to our Heroes
Walter Sisulu - Hero amongst heroes
Oliver Tambo: His life and legacy
We are the soldiers of Sisulu
An enduring faith in victory
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Integrating youth into the labour market - input
to the GDS
Resolution on promoting youth employment
On Elections, Democracy and Governance in Africa - President Thabo Mbeki
Beyond dreadlocks and demagogy - Cde Tankiso
Somaliland: Africa's best-kept secret - Iqbal Jhazbhay
Genetically Modified Organism debate - Neo Masithele
Building a South African cooperative movement - NCASA
Reinventing the African University - Prof. CT Keto
READERS FORUM
The motive forces: A rejoinder to Annie Molelekwa - Christopher
Malikane
Treason arrests - Stan Winer
The WSSD and a new system of values - Khanyo Gqulu
Open letter to President Mbeki on Peace in the DRC - Pr.
MM Mboya
Accelerating local economic growth and development - Zweli
Sizane
ANC Internal democracy, is it suspect? P.S. Liholo
BOOKS
The trial of Kissinger - Review by Vishwas Satgar
The Handbook on African traditional medicine - R. Eddie
Mabitsela
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single file for printing (370 kb)
We dedicate this edition of Umrabulo to two giants of our struggle and of the African continent - Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo. Their dedication, commitment to the people, and above all their clarity of purpose make them an inspiration for all future generations of patriots.
Tata Sisulu wrote during his time on Robben Island: "In a certain sense, the story of our struggle is a story of problems arising and problems being overcome." We are in the final year of our First Decade of Freedom and we continue to grapple with the central transformation task: overcoming the legacy of apartheid and colonialism and building a truly united, democracy, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa.
Comrades Sisulu and Tambo were founding members of the ANC Youth League.
They were profoundly aware of the challenges facing the youth of their generation.
As we remember their legacy, the present generations of youth are showing that
they it too are conscious of the challenges of their time.
The youth sector, led by the ANC Youth League, made its mark at the Growth and Development Summit through its submission, ensuring that the different social partners (government, business, labour) are acutely aware that the problem of unemployment is essentially a youth problem. Like their forbearers, the youth of today takes seriously the words of Moses Kotane -that the future will be what you make of it.
Comrades Sisulu and cde Tambo both came from a generation who were profoundly aware of the interconnectedness between the liberation and development of South Africa and that of the rest of the African continent.
On 25 May this year we celebrated 40 years of the Organisation of African Union. The African Union will hold its next Summit in July in neighbouring Mozambique, and will be seized with putting in place the structures necessary to ensure that it fulfil its mandate. Many challenges remain, and the speech of President Mbeki to the Africa Conference on Elections, Governance and Democracy and the account by Igbal Jhazbhay of the elections in Somaliland highlight some.
Our Umrabulo Readers Forum continues to grow from strength to strength, with readers interested in contributing to the transformation debates across a wide spectrum of issues and topics. One such article that is bound to stir debate, is the assessment of the events surrounding the formation of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee by Cde Thenkiso in Beyond Dreadlocks and Demagogy, and also referred to in the article on Internal democracy in the ANC. It is an insightful analysis of the evolution of the SECC, but it is more importantly a warning to ANC branch structures, that unless it is out there actively taking up the issues of communities, others will.
Kgaogelo Lekgoro raised this in the November 2000 edition of Umrabulo no 9, when he wrote: " It is true that - outside of provincial and national elections campaigns - we may not reach the same level of political and social mobilisation. However, to only have mass work and mass campaigns during elections leaves an undesired lull and impact on the depth and participatory nature of the democracy we are striving for."
Cde Sisulu and Cde OR knew the importance of organisation of the people, no matter what the stage of our struggle we are in. Cde Sisulu wrote: "Every organization engaged in national liberation constantly has to isolate, analyse and search for solutions crucial both to its continued existence and growth, and to the success of the struggle as a whole."
We hope that Umrabulo will continue to be a forum for debate on the problems facing our country and our movement, as we pick up the spears of these giants of our struggle.
Umrabulo is a forum for debate. The contents and views do not necessarily express the policies of the ANC or the views of the Editorial collective.
The Political Education and Training Unit wishes to acknowledge the following people for their contribution to this edition:
Umrabulo Editorial Collective: Naph Manana, Joel Netshitenzhe, Pallo Jordan,
Jeremy Cronin, Mandla Nkomfe and Fébé Potgieter.
Layout and Design: Donovan Cloete, ANC Communications Unit
Proofing and Editing: Diana Cumberledge
Logo: Creativity
The Editorial Collective welcomes contributions to UMRABULO. Articles should be not longer than 2000 words and letters not more than 500 words. Such contributions may focus on:
a. Articles published in Umrabulo 1-17; or
b. Letters to the Editor
c. New issues for debate
Send your contributions to:
UMRABULO
P.O. Box 61884
MARSHALLTOWN 2107
Telephone: (011) 376-1073
Fax: (011) 376-1134
E-mail: umrabulo@anc.org.za