INSPIRED BY TUTELAGE FROM SELFLESS LEADERS

50 years ago, on 12 June 1964 Nelson Mandela and seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment for sabotage in the Rivonia Trial
Looking back, one was fortunate to have gain tutelage from the one of the heads, Baba Andrew Mlangeni while serving the La Rochelle PCO. Leaders such as him, Tata Mandela, Oom R, Walter Sisulu and later Thabo Mbeki were selfles in their struggle of ensuring that those oppressed are released from the chains of slavery. With sadness of the passing away of Mama Mbeki, our condolences are with the Mbeki family and the rest of the people of Idutywa where she spent her last years serving the community of that area and the rest of Eastern Cape.
With the theme of celebrating the kind of leaders that has inspired us, my share will include the words of the father of the nation: -
"There was a sigh of relief & many hurriedly left the court to convey the news to the excited throng outside" Nelson Mandela #RivoniaTrial
"The judge’s voice was barely audible as he pronounced sentence of life imprisonment & quickly left the court" Nelson Mandela #RivoniaTrial "The sentence in the case of all the accused will be one of life imprisonment" – Judge de Wet sentencing Nelson Mandela & 7 others #RivoniaTrial "I have decided not to impose the supreme penalty" – Judge Quartus de Wet sentencing Nelson Mandela and 7 others #RivoniaTrial "The menacing shadow of the gallows stalked us in and outside the courtroom" Nelson Mandela #RivoniaTrial "Man’s endeavour to obtain freedom is irrepressible" ~ Harold Hansen, Rivonia accused lawyer #RivoniaTrial "Let us give practical recognition to the injustices of the past, by building a future based on equality and social justice." ~ Nelson Mandela at, safety the signing of the new Constitution, Sharpeville, Vereeniging, South Africa, 10 December 1996 #LivingTheLegacyWith such inspiration, one only hopes that one day we will achieve what was envisage by such great leaders of this world. Social cohesion, transformation, accountability, economic emancipation, freedom from all forms of oppression and that we will become a united, non-racial and a democratic nation. What we get from the books will only guide us to achieve some of the goals, but all depends on dedication, commitment and that selfless inner feeling inside our souls.To attain global happiness, economic development must be accompanied by social and environmental well being. One day, I hope to visit the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan where the spiritual wellbeing of citizens and communities is given as much importance as their material wellbeing. I need to meet their Minister of Happiness, yes Happiness. Happiness is serious business according to the Legatum study which has ranked Norway as the happiest country in the world, followed by Denmark and Swedan. Where is South Africa? According to this study, South Africa is at number 74 out of the 142 countries. In Mzantsi, we feel confident about entrepreneurship, business opportunities and the strength of our financial institutions, but are not so happy with the state of health care, safety and security and our income. In Noway for example, according to that study, 95% say they are satisfied with the freedom to choose their direction of their lives; an unparalleled 74% say other people can be trusted. Wish that in Mzantsi we can also achieve that, a society which those selfless leaders envisaged for us the future generations, but what have we have? Nightmare of crime, drugs, killing of innocent children, women and those who are vulnerable to the current status quo.It was the people of Lenasia the other day, yesterday those of Marikan, today its the people of Nomzamo. Will these people be: -

• positive and generous
• feel empathy
• find authenticity
• embrace emotion
• explore spirituality
• understand unhappiness

Mama Mbheki, you have tried to change this world and played your role in inspiring those around you, you have created platforms of ensuring that we enjoy the freedom that we celebrate today. May you Soul Rest In Peace!!!!

So, what does make anyone happy? Its not money for many people. Success and money can contribute to our happiness, happiness itself is something separate. Money is a byproduct of bigger, more meaningful goals such as being passionate about what you do, having fun while you're doing it and benefiting from the wisdom you have acquired over years.

"Religion, Politics and the Economy"

On this day, 30 July 1952 Nelson Mandela was arrested for his role in the Defiance Campaign and charged under the Suppression of Communism Act
"Too much of our planet is still embroiled in destructive conflict, strife and war. And unfortunately none of us can escape blame for the situation in which humankind finds itself." ~ Nelson Mandela in a message to the Global convention on peace and Non-violence, New Delhi, India, 31 January 2004












It reminds me of the "Religion, Politics and the Economy" article wrote sometime last year, remember it? Palestine and Israel conflict on one side, the America and Russia on the other side proves that the current leadership we have is no longer heads but tails. "Mzantsi 2 sides of the same coin" article reveals it all, it will be only through negotiations that we can have peace in this world.

As humankind, we need to find peace within ourselves, encourage peaceful efforts always, as political animals we must pray for peace, allow religion to be used as the foundation for young generations, the economy will prosper as we will trade amongst each other without any destructive conflict foreseen by our father Nelson Mandela in his speech in 1994 in New Dehli, India.

WHERE IS OPEN DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY?

It is twenty years since Nelson Mandela’s government appointed a Task Group on Open Democracy, headed by Deputy President Mbeki’s legal advisor Advocate Mojanku Gumbi, to draft a Bill which would give effect to the Constitution’s right of access to information. A broadly consultative process saw the emergence of a draft bill with four primary elements: the provision of information held by both public and non-public bodies; the protection of privacy; the protection of whistleblowers; and “government in the sunshine”, namely public access to meetings of public bodies. 



The drafters envisaged an omnibus piece of legislation providing an integrated instrument for defining freedom of information in South Africa. The vision informing the process was an embrace of transparency mindful of legitimate restrictions.
The Task Group very quickly gave up on the feasibility of an integrated instrument. Government in the sunshine was jettisoned. Whistleblower protection was provided by the Protected Disclosures Act (2000). 

Public access to information was legislated by the Promotion of Access to Information Act (2000). The Protection of Personal Information Act (2013) addresses privacy. And then, of course, we have the ‘Secrecy Bill’, the Protection of State Information Bill (POSIB), a cross-cutting instrument which promises to privilege concealing over revealing in relation to all other information legislation. 

The latter was passed by Parliament in 2013 but still awaits signing into law by the President. It has generated widespread and sustained opposition. And yet, in its earliest iteration (2008) it incorporated progressive provisions such as the automatic declassification of apartheid-era public records. 

POSIB as well as other proposed restrictions on information give us pause to ask, Where is open democracy in South Africa today? What have been the successes and failures of the last twenty years in relation to the measure set by the Constitution and the vision adopted initially by the Task Group on Open Democracy? What are the key issues confronting those who embrace freedom of information? Where to now with the ‘Secrecy Bill’?

Date: 4 November 2014 at 10:00

Venue: Institute for Security Studies, 6 Spin Street, Cape Town

Speakers: Oupa Bodibe, Mukelani Dimba, Murray Hunter, Alison Tilley and Khaya Xintolo