A Sense of Validation

 

For quite a few years now, C4L has tried to nudge NGOs beyond Relief and Development to the Advocacy mode.  This started in earnest back in 2003 with a training course called Prophetic Peacemaking for Pastors.  One outcome of this course was a website called The Regional Catalyst – designed to keep church leaders in Southern Africa informed about the land issue in Zimbabwe.  After several years, this was discontinued.  But right up until the present, the Mugabe regime is charging church leaders and others with “treason” as the election season draws near once again.

The second issue that C4L tried to speak out about, influencing people in its constituency, was the delay in rolling out ARVs (anti-retrovirals).  A Supreme Court decision in 2003 had basically told government to stop dragging its feet and to get on with it.  But the then-Health Minister kept delaying anyways, even though it made her Cabinet a pariah among the nations in terms of the HIV and AIDS emergency.  A Harvard University study last year concluded that as many as 350,000 South Africans lost their lives in this period that could have been spared if they had received ARV treatment.  It was a sin of omission, not a sin of commission.  Some of us still think that it rates as a crime against humanity.

So we cheered when this regime was swept aside, and replaced by another whose HIV and AIDS policy has been more orthodox.

But the third issue that C4L contested – along with many others - was the closing of the Scorpions.  This was obviously political punishment because the Scorpions has raised questions about the integrity of Jacob Zuma, who led the push to unseat Thabo Mbeki.  The whole matter was a white-wash.  The new unit that replaced the Scorpions was called the Hawks.  Instead of being able to tackle senior politicians – by its independence – it was subordinated to the Minister of Police.  A private citizen called Hugh Glenister (acting vicariously for many actors who shared his view) challenged this decision in court, but was unable to stop it from going through.  But he persisted, and appealed it to the Constitutional Court.  Never give up!

This week, the highest court in South Africa handed down its long-awaited decision.  They agreed with Glenister!  The Hawks will have to become independent like the Scorpions were, or else they can be coerced by politicians, and in South Africa that means by the Party.  In fact, it was a Party conference at Polokwane that the changing of the guard was consolidated – and that the decision was made to close the Scorpions.

That anticorruption unit had achieved a 94% conviction rate, and that was just too much of a threat to the ascent to power of Jacob Zuma.  So an interim President was appointed, to keep hi seat warm until the Scorpions could be closed and the threat that it posed neutralized.

We see this as a HUGE victory for Democracy and the balance of powers.  Hugh Glenister will become a Paul Revere or a Laura Secord – and ordinary citizen acting with extraordinary courage and conviction.  It is worth noting that not just the Constitution was violated by the subordination of the Hawks to politicians – but international law as well, according to the judges.  It is at this stage that one can sense that Democracy is sinking in.  Not just in Tunisia, Egypt and hopefully other places like Libya and Yemen, but where ever people may try to subvert it for their personal gain.

In the last two years, C4L has been riding another hobby horse.  It is the issue of “the rule of law”, whereby politicians can literally eliminate those who threaten them – with impunity.  It is another manifestation of power abuse - when senior leaders are above the law.  Hugh Glenister says he challenged the decision to close the Scorpions because he believed the executive had acted with disdain for Democracy.  “We need to stop the corruption that affects every facet of our society” Glenister said after winning his case.

Since 1998, in Mpumalanga province where C4L is located, 17 good leaders have been shot, most of them killed, in politically-connected incidents.  This is one more way to disdain Democracy!

Elijah challenged Ahab and Jezebel.  Nathan challenged King David.  John the Baptist challenged Herod.  There is a biblical precedent that part of ministry is to speak up with a prophetic voice against injustice, corruption and malpractice in high places.

A Culture of Silence

But South Africans will not speak up.  One can understand the history – freedom fighters could operate their hit and run tactics knowing that they could fade into a crowd and remain undetected – through solidarity.

Unfortunately, that remains true today.  People will not report what they know, especially when they know that some people are above the law.  They do not speak out, they clam up.

“Whistle-blowing” is not regarded as a virtue.  Snitches can be dealt with cruelly.  In fact, many of those who have been killed were taken out because they were threatening to “come clean” and “tell all”. 

They even reward people for keeping silent – like Shabir Shaik, Jacob Zuma’s former financial advisor.  After his conviction for fraud, he only served about 2 years of a 15-year sentence.  He knows too much!

In Mpumalanga, this has reached epidemic proportions.  17 murders makes it seem like there are death squads operating out there.  One watches the uprisings in north Africa and wonders, why don’t people rise up and demand transparency here – in a democratic state?

The answer is that this is a “Votocracy” not a “Democracy”.  That is, people get to vote when the train stops for an election.  But when the train starts moving again, impunity reigns.

Modes of ministry

Advocacy is a high calling.  It beats development, which is a better bet than welfare.  Teaching people how to fish is better than distributing free fish.  But bringing to light that the waters are being overfished and that even fish need protection in certain seasons is best of all.

C4L’s relief work still centres on care and support for OVC.

C4L’s development work centres on training individuals and strengthening organizations.

C4L’s advocacy work has focused on several social evils including Body Parts Trafficking (in 2009) and Child Trafficking (in 2010).  Bulletins like this one and above all the annual Childermas Letters are also C4L’s way of speaking out with a prophetic voice.