It did not come as too much of a surprise that the events around Polokwane would overshadow the meaning behind Day of Reconciliation. While the country geared (or rather braced) itself for the final stand-off between Zuma and Mbeki last weekend, the kultural upstarts kollective, a Cape-Town based group of cultural activists erected a 3.5m x 2.5m size crucifix outside St. George’s Cathedral and nailed Steve Biko to it. But even a public crucifixion of the father of Black Consciousness couldn’t divert media attention away from the Zulu on our stoep. Our latest public art installation was motivated by a strong belief that there cannot be adequate reconciliation without accountability and compensation for the suffering inflicted on South Africans under the apartheid regime. We chose Day of Reconciliation to highlight the fact that the government - of both Mbeki and Zuma - is opposed to the legal action taken against 23 multinational corporations for complying and benefiting from the apartheid regime.
A few weeks ago, in response to the news that the United States courts of appeal had overturned the dismissal of the apartheid lawsuits, Mbeki issued a statement that would harm both foreign investment and reconciliation, as well as undermine the State’s sovereignty. For the most part, Mbeki’s response attracted little media attention in the face of corruption scandals, fluctuating crime statistics and dirty politicking. In opposition to the government’s position, 17 Truth and Reconciliation commissioners, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have backed the Khulumani plaintiffs, who are taking legal action against the corporations. The kultural upstarts kollective feel it is a dishonour to all those (like Steve Biko) who fought and died in the struggle to overthrow an oppressive regime, for the government to believe that reconciliation has occurred simply because we now have a democracy. In his statement, President Mbeki declared that freedom and democracy are the “most fitting and profound reparation”. Tell that to South Africans who still do not have access to running water. Tell that to South Africans living with HIV Aids. Tell that to South Africans who are being evicted from their homes.
For us, as young South Africans, the struggle was not about ‘lip service’ ideals it was about addressing the socio-economic disparities that continue to cripple the majority of this nation’s peoples. We believe it is the obligation of the government to act as a conduit for the prosperity of all South Africans, as well as to condemn the injustices of the past and present, in order for true reconciliation to be achieved. The ANC’s ideological meander from a centre left movement to an institution which endorses macro-economic policies like GEAR are doused in neo-liberalism, on which multinationals, such as those being sued, thrive. In the context of the bigger, global picture where multinationals continue to exploit developing countries, it is disgraceful that the South African government is merely banking on reconciliation instead of using this case to highlight the unethical business practices that continue to pervade and contribute to the oppression of all African peoples.
