by Drs Sears Appalsamy, Netherlands
It was a great honour for all of us that the ANC is celebrating 111 years of existence. I lived in exile with the ANC.
It has also produced great leaders like Nkosi Albert Luthuli (the first African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and John Dube.
They have since 1994 done their best to eradicate poverty and suffering inflicted on the people of colour by the apartheid regime and its allies.
I was in Durban during the recent December holidays. To my surprise all the restaurants and beaches were full of people of colour. The ANC has done a tremendous job in eradicating poverty and illiteracy.
When I was young and lived in Illovo Sugar Estate in Illovo, KZN, I used to see our people wearing torn clothes and suffering and dying because of a lack of medical care. But today life has improved a lot after our freedom in 1994.
Most children receive lunch in school and also the present government has introduced medical care, education, child allowance and grants for people above 60 years.
The government can do more.
The ANC leadership should root out corruption and try to get the two power stations in Mpumalanga working. Lots of money and time has been spent building the two power stations and they are still not functioning.
Our government should try to solve the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the Western governments. Our government should send a delegation to Europe and America to lift the sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Max Sisulu was President Thabo Mbeki’s economic adviser. He never allowed our country’s sugar and chicken industry to go bankrupt. He protected thousands of jobs and wealth of our people by preventing foreign countries from dumping their cheap chicken and sugar in our beloved country.
Our gratitude to him. Yet the apartheid leaders got away by committing mass murder. My close friend and student leader Steve Biko was murdered too.
Mahatma Gandhi said: “An eye for an eye will make us all blind.”
The ANC adhered to Gandhi’s advice very seriously. I hope Eskom will be reorganised with capable people and we can have normal electricity in our industries and homes.
* Drs Sears Appalsamy, Netherlands.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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