Subry's matric class photo in 1965

 

HAS THE ANC LOST THE "INDIAN-ORIGIN" SUPPORT?

           

(A SUPPORTER OF THE ANC IN CHATSWORTH DURING THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN 1994. THE QUESTION BEING ASKED TODAY WHETHER THE ANC WILL BE ABLE TO WIN OVER THE SUPPORT OF THE INDIAN-ORIGIN VOTER ONCE AGAIN)

   

 (Some of the activists and leaders of the Natal Indian Congress during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s)

 

 

INTR0: At a time when racism and racial hatred is being spewed by some people against the background of what took place during the “insurrection” in July 2021, I would like to re-publish an article that I wrote 12 years ago in 2012 about the flight of the Indian-origin vote away from the ruling ANC.

A significant percentage of the people of Indian-origin had supported and voted for the ANC in 1994, 1999, 2004. But most of this strong anti-apartheid community began to question their allegiances after the ruling party was seen as moving away from the values and principles of the party. Some even saw the ANC as neglecting the concerns of the “Indian-origin” and “Coloured” communities in the new South Africa.

Today, 12 years later in 2022, there seems to be far greater disillusionment about the current deteriorating state of the ANC and the degenerating economical-social climate in the country. Most people see some leaders and members of the ANC only interested in promoting racial hatred while involved in fraud and corruption.

I am re-republishing this article just to highlight the fact that nothing has changed for the better, over the past 12 years. In fact, the social, economical and political road ahead seems to be heading for troubled times.

 

 

           “INDIAN-ORIGIN” SUPPORT FOR RULING ANC?

            (Article written in 2010)

 

By Subry Govender

 

 

When the Natal Indian Congress was in operation at the height of the struggles in the 1970s and 1980s, for all intents and purposes it served as the internal wing of the banned ANC at that time. As such it mobilised a significant percentage of the people of Indian-origin into becoming supporters and members of the ANC.

This was heightened in the early 1990s after the release of Nelson Mandela and the unbanning of the ANC.

In the first democratic election in 1994, despite the scare tactics of the then National Party, its cohorts and the dreaded security police, a large percentage of people of Indian-origin voted for the ANC.

This was again repeated in 1999.

But in the forthcoming two general elections in 2004 and 2009, a significant percentage of people deserted the ANC and either stayed away from the polls or voted for other parties.

Now, in 2010, the ANC during its National General Council conference in Durban this week has expressed its concerns about this trend and wants to find out what has gone wrong. It wants to "win back" the support it enjoyed during the "good feeling" days of the 1990s.

                            GWEDE MANTASHE

ANC Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe, lamented this lack of "Indian and coloured" support for the ANC in his "State of Organisation Report". He acknowledged the historical roles played by the two communities and expressed the view that new initiatives should be undertaken to regain the lost support.

This is what Mantashe stated: "We must acknowledge that the assumption that the Coloured and Indian communities, historically part of the struggle for liberation, can be organised as we normally do in African communities is misplaced.

"Provinces must take new initiatives to organise these communities and appreciate their diversity."

Addressing a media briefing during the conference on Tuesday, Mantashe expanded on the ANC's concerns when he said the organisation had to address the challenges facing the two communities.

"We need to go out into the Coloured and Indian communities and address the challenges they face," he said.

"If we don't, then we will lose their support," he added.

                           DISILLUSIONMENT

Over the past decade or so, members of the Indian-origin community have given various reasons for their disillusionment with the current situation.

In order to get their latest perspectives I approached a number of people at random and asked them for their views on what Mantashe had stated.

                 VERULAM FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

A financial consultant, Prem Shivanand, of Verulam said he voted for the ANC in the first democratic elections in 1994. But since then he has become not only disappointed but disillusioned.

"It seems most people in the ANC have lost their values and principles and have thrown away the legacy of Nelson Mandela," he said.

"It's now more about self-enrichment and self-entitlement. Jockeying for positions and the moral decay of the ANC will not only lead to the downfall of the party, but also the country.

"The situation of the poor has not improved much," he said.

                        FORMER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

A former school principal, Poobalan Moodley, said he came from a farming family in Inanda, near Verulam, but since the early 1990s they and other families had to flee from their farms.

"Our lives were made miserable by people wanting to take over our farms," he said.

He said in addition to violent crime, he was also fed up with corruption that had become rife and the deterioration in education and health services.

"Now we hear that the ANC wants to introduce measures to stifle the media. If they go ahead with this, then we will go down the Zimbabwe way."

He said because of the ANC's actions the country had lost thousands of skilled people to countries such as Canada, United States, Britain, other European countries, Australia and New Zealand.

                         PHOENIX PENSIONER

A pensioner in Phoenix, Butch Raghubar, said he had always voted for the ANC in the past elections.

"But now I will never vote for the ANC," he said.

"They are no different to the former National Party, which also only promoted certain elements and groups. They are not interested in our people.

"What a disappointment? The ANC's failure to deliver is like wasting good Chinese tea on a fireman's throat. The situation is so bad that you cannot make silk purses of sow's ears," said Mr Raghubar.

"Whatever decisions they take at the conference will not be of any benefit to us as poor people. It seems the ANC is more concerned about associating with rich people in the Indian community."

                     FORMER TONGAAT ACTIVIST

A former activist of Tongaat, Alimuthoo Perumal, said the ANC today was not the ANC that he and other activists had fought for.

"They have lost the plot," he said.

"Now it's no longer about serving the people but how one can enrich oneself by using the ANC as a cash cow. I am totally disgusted with what is going on.

"The ANC must move away from its present path before I consider to vote for the party again," said Mr Perumal.  Many politically-aware activists supported the sentiments of people when he said the ANC had gone for "elite pacts" rather than "grassroots loyalty" in the Indian-origin community.

"Indian businessmen may be good for business but they don’t deliver voters," said one activist.

"Forget the shopkeeper stereotype, this is a largely poor and working-class community. Indian support for the ANC has ebbed and flowed. Going back to the heydays of the Congress Movement in the 1940s and 1950s,  the Indian congresses galvanised their support behind the ANC. Another surge of support came with the United Democratic Front in the 1980s. Young Indian activists, especially students, mobilised at the grassroots and forced the community to turn its back on the tri-cameral
system," said another activist.

He added: "After its unbanning, the ANC neglected to build the community structures that had developed in the Indian townships. In spite of his huge personality and charisma, Mandela was unable to get large numbers of Indians to support the party.

"Mbeki fared better, addressing rallies at stadiums and getting into the homes of Indian voters. He read the swing potential of even a few thousand Indian votes in a marginal province like KwaZulu-Natal.
"After Zuma took over, his simplicity and caring for ordinary folk had an initial magic but that has now fizzled out. He is hardly visible among the Indian poor or seen to be addressing their concerns.
"The Indian youth are a lost generation to the ANC. Nobody is mobilising or organising them. They feel the punch of affirmative action when trying to get into universities or jobs."
What about the emotional support enjoyed by the ANC among the people?

"One wonders if the party today is really interested?”

– subrygovender@mail.com 2010

 

 

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