Unisa online - Call for traditional ANC values to resurface

From left: Dr NM Phosa, Chairperson of the Unisa Council; the Honourable Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, Deputy President of South Africa; Prof Mandla Makhanya, Unisa's Principal and Vice-Chancellor; and Dr S Mokone-Matabane, Deputy Chairperson of the Unisa Council Mr Kgalema Motlanthe & Prof Makhanya share a joke during the event From left: Ms Puleng Segalo, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, Prof Mandla Makhanya & Prof Tinyiko Maluleke Dr NM Phosa, Chairperson of Council, who delivered the vote of thanks after the event The ZK Matthews Great Hall full to bursting Invited dignitaries and senior Unisa staff members at the lecture

Members of the African National Congress (ANC) should be able to reflect on others and not focus only on themselves. This, said Deputy President, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, will help restore values championed by ANC leaders and members from the last 100 years.

He was speaking on Reflections on the centenary of the ANC at the ZK Matthews Great Hall on Friday 27 January 2012. The public lecture formed part of the African Intellectuals, Knowledge Systems and Africa’s Futures programme – an initiative of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mandla Makhanya, which aims to advance Unisa’s vision and give practical expression to Unisa’s Africanisation agenda for a contextually and globally relevant university.

In welcoming guests, Prof Makhanya, said the pursuance of freedom and the liberation of South Africa has a long history. “We have organised this lecture in order to create space for the university community and the broader South African public to discuss, debate and understand the contents, processes, systems, dreams and values which shaped African movements and institutions.”

“For us in the university, whose fundamental responsibility is to construct knowledge, understand the meaning of life and how people create meaning, and to unearth novel ideas, systems and processes which are beneficial for the development of societies, communities and ecologies, today’s event is important in our calendar because it provides us an opportunity and invitation to search for lessons, limitations, challenges and prospects for the present and future.”

Motlanthe congratulated Unisa for hosting the lecture as it opens up necessary dialogue among South Africans on key policy issues impacting development, growth and the rejuvenation of society.

His address focused on the global context in which the South African liberation was attained; the ANC’s historical experiences and what enabled the party to survive decades of trials and tribulations; the intra-organisational challenges facing the ANC as they head into the future; and organisational renewal of the party.

Motlanthe said the ANC continues to owe its victory to the cross- pollination of ideas from the overlapping membership and the organisation of broad sectors of society that saw it through turbulent times.

He added that to be equal to the task it had to carry out, the ANC had to espouse particular principles, abide by a particular value system and clearly set out the political, social and moral line that guided behaviour. “As we look to the future we should bear in mind that it was this principle of accepting diversity that allowed the ANC to grow in stature. In addition, the struggle developed moral values of human compassion and solidarity whose humanist appeals were more than just opposition to the colonial and apartheid system.”

Motlanthe said 100 years of the ANC only symbolised a triumph over oppression and apartheid and was the first phase of the struggle.”The road is still long in the struggle to achieve a fully prosperous and just society… Thus the success of the next 100 years of the ANC will be judged on our ability to raise a new generation of South Africans that have equal access to opportunities and development resources to build a prosperous nation. It requires that we establish a youth development regime that is focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education and training opportunities to enable them to engage in meaningful economic activities.

Discussant, Puleng Segalo, said education was the tool to the advancement of South Africa and that collective efforts play a crucial role in tackling the challenges facing society. She said Unisa also played a vital role in educating South Africans as the university offers students the platform to realise their goals, and empowers them in their quest for justice and social change.

Another discussant, Unisa Deputy Registrar, Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, questioned whether the ANC is aware of how important the party is for the people of South Africa.

He also said while reflecting on the history of the ANC, it was important to remember the history of the 1800s, when destruction of the power of the chiefs took place, when there was an onslaught of the African culture and long before laws were documented.

Prof Maluleke also said as the ANC celebrates its centenary, they should broaden their celebrations to include the contributions made by other liberation movements such as the Pan African Congress and the Black Consciousness Movement.

The lecture also provided a platform for social commentator, academic and author, Prof Ashwin Desai, to launch his book Reading revolution: Shakespeare on Robben Island. Prof Desai spoke about anti-intellectualism, saying that what is less known is how higher education institutions are involved in anti-intellectualism. “They lecture rubbish that masquerades as knowledge… The fundamentals of their disciplines are based on untruths and haven’t changed over time. These are serious matters because they turn this into knowledge… We need to raise our voices from inside our institutions.”

• Click here for Deputy President, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe’s full speech.
• Click here for Prof Mandla Makhanya’s full speech.

*Story written by Rivonia Naidu