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| On my way to Mama Winnie's funeral in 2018 |
Happy New Year, everybody and welcome to 2026.
Yes, if you are residing in South Africa regardless of which
political party you belong to.
The ANC January 8 statement is something that we all look
forward to.
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| The ANC and DA beads that the Gogos and I made |
Hate them or not, but the governing party and its president
who is automatically the president of the country must give us some direction
on what to expect this year…. A local government election year.
So, with those in mind.
I thought let me start with an issue that has been
bugging me for years since I have returned to Johannesburg.
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| MK Youth hard at work in Alexandra Township |
The party’s exclusivity to the community and the people on the ground. Now. I am not talking about those that left the party but the ordinary citizens who are still loyal to the party till this day but are not included to big events such as these.
We all know that the year start when the ruling party give
us the people of the country its vision for the year.
Or it used to start
then before 1994 and the early years after.
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| The EFF was amongst the first customers of our business and they bought beads in bulk |
But since my return to the city of Gold which is close to 13 years now, I hear nothing about this event. Trying to get to the party itself has been a mission. Let alone the Women's League and the local foot soldiers.
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| Free advertisement for Bossa |
There is absolutely nothing you hear about this annual event or any other works of the party so that you can participate also.
The mining town of KlerkdorpNo noise or buses carrying people over to the venue like in the old days.
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| OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela were the president of the organisation |
Even the event is not effectively communicated so that everyone can be or feel part of it. Or maybe reject being part of it yet having being informed about it.
Stillfonteing Gold MinesIn these days, what I have observed is that you are merely excluded and not informed. Maybe gass talked as some may say now.
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| Chief Albert Luthuli was the president of the ANC |
Before we go further, let me tell you readers about the history of this event with Google's help and some of the books I have read in the past.
Election Day 2019... NationalThe origins of the event sterms from the organisation, the South African National Natives Congress(SANNC), now known as the African National Congress (ANC) having being formed on January 8, 1912.
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| The original founders of the ANC in 1912 |
The founders, John Dube, Sol Plaatje and Pixley ka Isaka Seme wanted to unite Africans against the discriminatory law like the Land Law Act of 1913 which gave blacks 13% of land and 87% was distributed to the whites at the time.
Star Fm, a community radio station in the North WestThe practice of releasing majory statement were made popular by the then president, Oliver Tambo in 1972 during his exile years in Lusaka Zambia where he detailed strategies, themes and call for actions against the then racist regime.
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| Winnie Madikizela Mandela kept the organisation alive when it was banned in SA |
But even before O.R. Tambo took over the leadership role. In
the 1950s when Chief Albert Luthuli was in leadership.
People dropped everything to hear what the chief had to say
at Freedom Square, this despite of government harassing him with banning orders
that would forced him back to Natal even before he could speak to the people.
Over three decades of democracy and I would be lying if I said I knew where and what
the event was about over the past few years since I left the newsroom.
A week ago, I went pass the Chief Albert Luthuli House, the headquatters of the ANC to get information.
I get it, people were on leave it was the late days of December2025. The security knew nothing about the event and only a flyer advertising accommodation for the event in North West that I got a glimps of where they will be this year.
Over the past few years, there's absolutely nothing you hear from the organisation itself. Especially when you have restricted means of communication like me.
I think, I last listened and heard from the president, Cyril
Ramaphosa when he was crying for people to send, that was way back in 2018 if I
am not mistaken.
I think, the conference was held in East London then.
After, the bullies of the organization did their thing so
much that all my businesses came to a halt.
My property was
destroyed, I was stalked, I received death threats, I was humiliated and all
sorts of lies were spread to a point that everything I had built and done for
myself without the help of anyone will take years to rebuild.
But I am grateful for the social grant that I am currently on even though had my business not being destroyed, I would have been far even with my law studies.
Thank God NSFAS agreed to fund me last year, but writing the Unisa exams were made difficult and some subject impossible to even seat for.
So my promised ten years free and compulsary education from the 150 page of the Reconstruction Development Programme of the party was also somehow disturbed.
I pray that they let me continue with my law studies this year as Iam really keen on the modules local government, land and housing, education, family law etc.
Anyway, don't read this and think I am all made at the ANC.
Just after Covid19, I’ve been trying so hard to get involve in the community work with the ANC or the women’s league but the party seems to be very far of.
Even when you go to councilor’s offices and introduce
yourself, your intentions and what you are about.
Still you are treated like a hungry outsider and the people
that I have been in contact with have made it clear that the organization is
now for the black elite.
If you have no money, you have no business in the ANC nor
would your talent, skills, knowledge or resources can be used in this mighty
organization.
The attitude is so disturbing because some of the Pioneers
and Jevuniles of the early 80s and 90s came from these communities with no
money but strong spirit of brother hood
and looking out for each other regardless of background.
The education about the South African black history before
the 1994 election seems to have been a wasteful exercise now.
Especially when the
black English men and women in power don’t know and can’t relate to the struggles of the
same black community in which they grew up in.
Some of the
contributors to this little change come from those that are hired to provide
service in the township but ignore their duties and run after bribery.
Money that further
halt the slow progress in these areas or do unfinished work yet they claimed to
be capable of doing the complete job.
Worse, the millions received for numerous tenders through
connections not even a cent will go to even buying a child in that
community school shoes.
What monied black men did not have before 1994 was covered by the contribution he made to the
community then.
The community also
helped support his businesses.
There was a servicing of each other not the exercise of
Lordship over the other due to the money, the car they drive and where they
stay.
Hence many like me, ended up with many fathers and mothers. While my mother was inprisoned and the other exiled for their political roles in the ANC.
I gained parents who were not my biological parents but the respect I had to give to some of these men and
women was equal to that of both absent parents of mine.
Yes, there was status and we all prided ourselves when a
black men or children of the township had done well as if we all made some
contribution to their achievement.
But there was not
much of showing it off, undermining and I’m better than you kind of vibe which
is quite common now.
Back to the January statement, I hear this year it will be
in the North West.
A two hours drive from Johannesburg and where the gold, a
resource that God bless South Africans with but became a curse at the same time
as visitors became too greedy to share.
It would be so nice to have buses available to everyone who
want to go from all areas of Johannesburg Township.
There are children who don't even know what a mine looks like let alone a mining town and what those people are about.
When I was in Port
Elizabeth, I attended one conference that was held in East London.
Though, I was in the
media.
I opted to drive to
East London with the masses from Kwa Zakhele township.
The bus atmosphere is the best, to and fro, the endless
debates about what was said and what could have been touched on and informal
planning on how to exercute some of the plans to go with the vision of the
party.
The sightseeing is also beautiful especially when everyone
is looking forward to the place or I was looking forward to the East London
beaches and we ate kotas and full meals after the event.
So my humble request to the party is to at least make the address available to everyone.
Even those with no internet, radios and tvs.
The
news of what needs to be done must reach even the low class citizen of this
country.
