Staying the Course: Committing to freedom in South Africa

JOSHUA Nkomo once said: “The hardest lesson of my life has come to me late. It is that a nation can win freedom without its people becoming free.” This sentiment resonates deeply with many South Africans.

As a nation, we must reaffirm, rededicate, and recommit ourselves to staying the course until total freedom is achieved. This freedom will be attained because we are a resilient people, a resilience born from the moral and spiritual imperatives of our heroic past.

As we confront the challenges of the present, we will continue to rely on this resilience—the ability to rise to the occasion, whatever the future may bring. This is not mere optimism but a profound belief in our capacity to adapt and thrive.

A Japanese proverb reminds us: “Even fortune tellers do not know their own destiny.” Hard work, when focused on a goal, is never wasted—even if the destination changes. The lessons learned from our setbacks have been invaluable and will undoubtedly lead to success, provided we maintain our resilience and the optimistic opportunism to sense and embrace change. It is through resilience that we will turn despair into hope, sadness into joy, darkness into light, and uncertainty into certainty.

We live in uncertain times, fundamentally different from the past. Yet, even in uncertainty, we must forge a path forward. How should we respond? By having a long-term vision and adapting our strategies to the unique challenges of our era.

Uncertainty should not paralyse us but rather inspire us to focus on fundamentals. As an economist once reflected: “I used the calm of war to reflect on the turmoil of the coming peace.” Similarly, our resolve must remain steadfast, even as we navigate turbulent times.

In a democracy, the electorate’s negative attitude toward government often signals confusion and drift. A Czech proverb aptly states: “Trust is like a sheet of paper. Once crumpled, it can never be perfectly smoothed again.”

Sam Crosby notes in his 2016 book The Trust Deficit that voters who distrust the government’s commitment to their interests often turn to non-incumbent or third-party candidates. Political trust is a proxy for political legitimacy, reflecting the level of popular support for the government and its policies.

Vladimir Pastukhov, a Russian political scientist, describes the degeneration in Russia three decades after the reforms of the 1990s: “If the people who dreamed of freedom twenty years ago now choose slavery, if they have grown sick of words like ‘equality’ and ‘brotherhood,’ if they are bored by democracy and fall asleep at the mention of the constitution, it does not mean you have failed to reach them. It means someone else has deceived them, and now they trust no one.”

This resonates with South Africa’s current challenges. After three decades of democracy, we face a crisis of trust, marked by inertia, ignorance, and a lack of self-awareness. Restoring public trust is imperative. As Abraham Lincoln once said, our country is “piled high with difficulty”. To smooth its path, South Africans must not only honour the legacy of fallen freedom fighters but also rise to the occasion, think anew, and act anew.

Paul Wellstone reminds us that “politics is not about big money or power games; it’s about the improvement of people’s lives”. This must be the guiding principle of our government. To achieve this, we need a sense of civic responsibility and an end to the dependency syndrome. Che Guevara warned: “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.” Similarly, we must remember that rights come with responsibilities.

The tragedy unfolding in our townships, where drugs and alcohol have consumed an entire generation, robs individuals of their agency. Thomas Sankara once said: “You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. It comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on old formulas, and the courage to invent the future.”

But how can we ask those shackled by addiction to imagine a future when they are trapped in despair? Genuine social reform requires an active, engaged citizenry, not a dependent one that merely denounces the government.

Henry George aptly noted: “Social reform is not secured by noise and shouting, complaints and denunciations, or the formation of parties and revolutions. It is achieved through the awakening of thought and the progress of ideas. Until there is correct thought, there can be no right action, and when there is correct thought, right action will follow.”

Contrary to the view that South Africa’s declining voter turnout in the May 2024 elections stemmed from disillusionment, I believe it reflects political enlightenment and maturity. This should serve as a wake-up call to political parties, particularly black political parties. If the electorate’s intelligence is undermined, the DA’s prospects of becoming the ruling party may soon materialise. The resurgence of protests over service delivery and the alarming unemployment rate among youth pose serious threats to stability.

On fiscal matters, the government must exercise prudence. Increasing VAT during economic turbulence is ill advised. Instead, the state should cut unnecessary expenditures, such as the opulent State of the Nation and State of Provinces Addresses, which have devolved into fashion parades. The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the value of technology; President Ramaphosa could deliver these addresses virtually, saving resources.

Similarly, the proliferation of municipalities within small radii is inefficient. Consolidating administrative structures would reduce costs and improve service delivery.

In recommitting ourselves to staying the course, we must heed Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s final Sunday sermon: “To remain awake through a great revolution.” We dare not falter in our resolve to improve lives. As King T’Challa said: “More connects us than separates us,” and “in times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers.” Harold Macmillan’s words also ring true: “The time is short. Let there be no delay.”

This moment demands honest and committed leaders—leaders unswayed by the spoils of life or the lust for power, leaders of honour and integrity. With such leadership, we can solve our problems and lift the downtrodden from poverty. Like the great leaders of our past, we too shall stay the course.

George C Fraser’s poem Stay the Course offers guidance:

The ship of life sails at sea in search of life
As captains of our fate, we must steer the course
Confident our inner compass will always be true
The sea will be stormy, but stay the course
Your scope will view danger, but stay the course
You will be tempted to change direction, but stay the course
Your crew may threaten mutiny, but stay the course
Stay the course, and you will land on an island where no one else has landed
It is there that you will build your paradise.

The challenges we face are profound but not insurmountable. The Government of National Unity (GNU) must rise to the occasion, think anew, and act anew. Equally, every South African must embrace the responsibility that comes with freedom.

Kwame Nkrumah’s words remain a guiding light: “Forward ever, backward never.” Let us move forward together, united in the struggle for a better tomorrow. Ours is to stay the course until total freedom is attained. In doing so, let us all think and act anew.

* Dr Vusi Shongwe works in the Department of Arts and Culture in KwaZulu-Natal and writes in his personal capacity.

** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media or IOL.