RECONCILIATION IS THE BEST CURE FOR TERRORISM

By Thabo Mbeki and - - Reprint | | Print |

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PRETORIA, Sep 1 2004 (IPS) - South Africa has never enjoyed the peace it enjoys today nor been as stable and as free of the risk of unacceptable political conflict. The extent and depth of reconciliation within our diverse nation have never been as pronounced, writes Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa. In this analysis, the author writes that in his country, change came about as a result of a settlement negotiated by antagonists that had stood at the barricades for 350 years, each unable to defeat and destroy the other. This peaceful outcome culminated in the equally peaceful general elections of 1994, which surprised the cynics and sceptics, who were convinced that our people, black and white, were incapable of solving their problems peacefully. But the doomsters had not understood that as the first and principal victims of violence and war, the masses of our people, black and white, would be the first and best guarantors of the peace they won in 1994. This has been confirmed by the virtually total disappearance of political violence in our country, even during election periods. Despite, and perhaps because of our history, we stand in the front ranks of the group of countries across the globe that are truly peaceful, stable, and not consumed by the threat of terrorist bombs.

South Africa has never enjoyed the peace it enjoys today nor been as stable and as free of the risk of unacceptable political conflict. The extent and depth of reconciliation within our diverse nation have never been as pronounced.

In sharp contrast, the 350-year period from the arrival of the Dutch settlers in the Cape, in 1652, to the liberation of South Africa in 1994, was characterised by uninterrupted conflict and permanent uncertainty about the future of our country. During the last few years of the system of white minority rule introduced by the Dutch settlers, our country experienced greatly heightened levels of violence as the apartheid regime did everything it could to retain power.

Nobody emerged as the winner during those 350 years. The oppressed did not succeed in overthrowing the oppressor regime and denying it the possibility to continue to mete out violence against the people. But nor did the oppressor regime succeed in defeating the oppressed and rendering them incapable of continuing the struggle for their liberation.

With this struggle unresolved, there was a persistent risk that bloody conflict could break out, with neither side willing to give up, both determined to fight to the bitter end. Change finally came about as a result of a settlement negotiated essentially by the historic antagonists that had stood at the barricades for 350 years.

This peaceful outcome culminated in the equally peaceful general elections of 1994, which surprised the cynics and sceptics, who had convinced themselves that our people, black and white, were incapable of solving their problems peacefully.

Amazed that our first democratic elections were peaceful, the cynics and sceptics were determined not to abandon their dim view. Thinking that the peaceful transition from apartheid to a non-racial democracy was too good to be true, they convinced themselves that sooner or later our country would be consumed by the terrible racial conflagration they had expected in 1994. As the peace continued with no sign of an Armageddon, they said, Wait until tomorrow! Having frightened themselves about what tomorrow would be like, some among them packed their bags and emigrated to other countries they had convinced themselves were the safest in the world.

But the doomsters had not understood that as the first and principal victims of violence and war, the masses of our people, black and white, would be the first and best guarantors of the peace they won in 1994. This has been confirmed by the virtually total disappearance of political violence in our country, even during election periods.

In 1994, areas such as KwaZulu-Natal and the present Ekurhuleni (East Rand), had been at the epicentre of the violence that claimed thousands of lives as the apartheid system approached its demise. As we held our 10th Anniversary elections in 2004, the masses of the people in both these areas would not allow anybody to drag them backwards into a situation of violence and war.

Similarly, some among our white compatriots have continued to harbour false ideas that they could address their problems with bombing and assassination campaigns. But as they have set off a bomb here and there, it has been perfectly clear that those who constitute this lunatic fringe have absolutely no support among the white people of our country and are incapable of inspiring it.

More recently, the cynics and sceptics sought to frighten the people with unfounded allegations of an intention to amend the constitution to increase the number of terms a person could serve as President of the Republic. This was part of the scare campaign designed to suggest that ours was becoming a one-party-state, which would result in the collapse of democracy and our system of human rights and rule of law and lead to the installation of a dictatorship — and so on.

Undoubtedly, for selfish and narrow partisan –and other– reasons, the cynics and sceptics in our midst will continue their mischievous campaigns that are based on lies, regardless of what the millions of our people of all races and colours are doing together to build the South Africa of their dreams. Our democratic system is firmly entrenched. No force exists anywhere that could undermine it or put it at risk. Despite, and perhaps because of our history, we stand in the front ranks of the group of countries across the globe that are truly peaceful, stable, and not consumed by the harrowing threat of terrorist bombs. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)