(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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