Leaders of "conscience" are vital today just like those who raised their voices fearlessly during the apartheid era

By Marimuthu Subramoney
(aka Subry Govender)

During the struggles against apartheid, we were encriched by the presence of hundreds of leaders of "conscience" who spoke out vociferously and strongly against the oppression and repression of the racist regime.
Some of these leaders who stood out were Mrs Helen Suzman, who for more than two decades was the lone voice against the ruling National Party in the then whites-only parliament; Dr Frederick van Zyl Slabbert, an outstanding academic, leader of the former Progressive Federal Party and Director of the Institute for a Democratic Alternative; Dr Alan Boesak, a religious leader, former black consciousness activist and patron of the United Democratic Front; Arcbishop Desmond Tutu, former leader of the Anglican Church; Bishop Reuben Philip, former black consciousness activist and a leader of the Anglican Church; Dr Frank Chikane, a former secretary general of the South African Council of Churches; Father Smangeliso Mkhathwa, a former secretary general of the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops Conference; and Archbishop Denis Hurley, a former Catholic Archbishop of Durban and leader of the Catholic Church in Southern Africa.
These leaders of "conscience" provided the moral support to the thousands of other activists and the people in general in the struggle for equality and justice. They did not allow the oppressive actions of the apartheid regime to deter them in any way.
After the advent of our new non-racial and democratic society, most South Africans were of the view that there would be no need for leaders of "conscience" any more because the party that took over in April 1994, the African National Congress, was a liberation movement whose leaders had sacrificed their lives for the freeom of the people.
And during the first two five-year terms of ANC rule under President Nelson Mandela and President Thabo Mbeki there had been no cause for concern.
But during Mbeki's second five-year term and the current term under President Jacob Zuma, various leaders of "conscience" have spoken out against wide-scale corruption, police excesses, "Robert Mugabe", "Idi Amin" and racist tendencies among the Julius Malema types and a general decline in moral standards.
One of the former "conscience" leaders who first spoke out against these tendencies is Archbishop Tutu, who has now retired from public life.
There have been others as well but two people stand out.
They are social commentator and analyst, Mr Moeletsi Mbeki, and the secretary general of the Congress of South African Trade Unions(Cosatu), Mr Zwelinzima Vavi.
Mr Mbeki, who is the younger son of the late Govan Mbeki and brother of former President, Thabo Mbeki, ruffled ANC feathers last week when addressing the Cape Town Press Club. He said there was a steep decline in leadership in the ANC and the politicians running the party were an example of the decline in intellect and vision.
Among other things, Mbeki claimed that the ANC Government was not solving the economic conditions of the people of South Africa.
"What the government has been doing since 1994 is building a class of rich blacks and these rich blacks are taking a big part of our resources and consuming them, instead of investing them.
"Just like the National Party before it, the ANC has created a model that benefits only a small inner circle."
Despite being roasted by the ANC as a "doubting thomas" with "deep-rooted bitterness", Mbeki, 67, stood his ground. He reacted by saying the ANC had the mind-set of a one-party state.
"The ANC is such a dominant party they then jump to the conclusion that they are the cleverest people because they have the largest vote and, therefore, anybody else hasn't got any wisdom. So instead of saying what can I learn from the criticism, the ANC says this is an enemy I must attack."
For his part, Zwelinzima Vavi has been scathing about the "culture of impunity that has been on the rise" to allegations of corruption in the country. He has called for the law to take its course against Julius Malema, and for corruption within government to be rooted out without delay.
He listed some allegations and said the ball was in Zuma's court.
He said: "These are just a few cases in the mountain of allegations of corruption and abuse of public funds. The president needs to allay fears that we are sinking into a corruption-ravaged banana republic."
The emergence of Moeletsi Mbeki and Zwelinzima Vavi is a clear indication that we need as many "conscience" voices as possible in order to keep the democratic government in check and on the right track.
Any failure by leaders of "conscience" to speak out will signal the death knell of our hard earned democracy. - Subry Govender, Chief Editor