Jabulani Mabaso,
Will appreciate the input and apologies for pressure. Just as a guideline, please always take cognisance of the following in drafting your input;
Our opportunity as Alibuye:
1. Government is very good with policy but very bad with implementation and compliance monitoring and this is what Alibuye intends to turn into business opportunity; and2. In the process empower communities to claim their rights and hold government responsible and accountable.
3. We are doing this work largely in the following core sectors;
a. Land restitution and reform;
b. Land use and Property rights
c. Public Policy in general ( with bias on how it affects South African in general and Blacks in particular)For Mbonambi and all other communities we working with:
1. Not to do:
a. Assume without facts that the process were wrong and not followed,
b. Jump to conclusions and blaming mood,
c. Make statements without comprehensive research;
d. Point scoring,
e. Talk above our clients,
f. Prove points to government,
2. What we are doing:
a. Gather as much data as we can in terms of what we have be tasked to work on, i.e. EIA and EMP in your case,
b. Highlight areas where we (community) not clear and seek clarity from government officials and or any other member of society that might have knowledge in the subject matter,
c. Recommend solution,
d. Highlight areas where government did not follow process and did not ensure honest public participation and involvement,
e. Make our clients feels empowered and capable to take charge of their destine,
f. Manage (at a fee) implementation of our recommended solutions,
3. Strategic Intent:
a. Position Alibuye as a constructive Solution provider in the area of Public Policy implementation,
b. Engage government constructively and in a manner where they appreciate their shortfalls,
c. Partner with community and government in finding and practical policy implementation solutions,
d. At the end of everything we do, touch or say, our clients must feel good and happy that they have engage us.These are principles that I would like all of us to adhere to and respect. Our government has enough people levelling blame and scoring political points for its weaknesses and failures, including the likes of Afriforum, Sunday Times, Mail and Guardian, Julius Malema and the DA. Alibuye is NOT going to be one of those!
Alibuye stands for protecting the ANC and the Black Consciousness Movements which are the custodians of democracy and transformation for our beloved South African.
Paul Ngobeni,
Dear Mashobane:
As always thanks for the stellar work and thoughtful contribution.I beg to differ to a slight extent – Alibuye must offer the ANC and other progressive formations including the “Black Consciousness Movement” critical support and not a blank check. What this means is that we are free to chastise, criticise, rebuke and praise all in the spirit of making the ANC and these groupings better. From my own experience I can tell you that this approach works like magic. Even when we are the lone voice preaching an idea it pays off in the long run.
I remember that immediately after Polokwane and after Zuma was charged, I wrote an article in January 2008 arguing that the Zuma case should be dismissed on the basis of “abuse of process”. Only the SACP took me seriously and published the article on its website – none of the mainstream papers published the article. In fact, some of the very ANC leaders who were supposed to be supporting Zuma dismissed the idea and began to plant suggestions in newspapers and the public that Zuma should consider resigning for the good of the party. There were tireless efforts and when providence intervened with the spy tapes, the NPA had the legal theory to justify dismissing the case, that is “abuse of process.”
I envisage Alibuye working tirelessly to empower these progressive forces, equipping them for the battles we are called upon to fight but I urge caution to some extent – on the issue of land reform and restitution, Mbeki’s government failed and Zuma’s regime subsumed this matter under the general rubric of rural development. I do not believe the current government has even started to comprehend the enormity of the problem. The agenda you have started will benefit the client communities enormously and in the meantime benefit these same progressive parties. But we must insist that the ANC and other formations come to the party.
We are duty-bound to deliver to the client communities and cannot let our ANC loyalties derail that in any way. Our credibility with the client community is dependent on what we deliver in real terms and not on what the ANC or BCM promises them.
I apologize if I got carried away but I think that the ANC’s Mangaung preoccupation virtually means we must fight alone for a while.Take care my brothers.
Paul.
Jabulani Mabaso,
Thanks for your always provoking angles on debates! I am in full agreement with your assertion.
Mafumadi says in today’s papers, “ANC can’t impose its will on the people” and I subscribe to this thinking. It is always important to remind ourselves that our struggle was for liberation and emancipation of the Black Nation and not about ANC!
He further says that “it is important that the ANC rediscover its political mission because, quite frankly it has lost its way”! The culture of patronage has come to define our liberation movement, you will recall Cosatu beating up DA supporters when they had a march on Job Subsidy, very appalling scenes to watch at this day of our democracy.
Pre-1994, coming from KZN to Gauteng, we were running away from being killed by IFP assassinators, but guess what, in 2012 we running away from being killed by our fellow ANC comrades! As you know, it did not start in 2012 when they killed Wandile Mkhize or in 2010 when Sandi Majali died, running up to Polokwane (2007), it was clear that we have lost our way! Whilst I might have had different views than those of our ex-President, but watching ANCYL burning t-shirts with his face on TV, I just knew we were on track in the journey of political regression!
Whilst I remain grieving the passing on of all my parents, i.e. my mother, my father, my mother and father-in-law, my leaders in the ANC and Black Consciousness’ Movement, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Archie Gumede, Thembisile Chris Hani, Joe Slovo, Peter Mokabe, Moses Kotane, Steve Bantubonke Biko, to mention the few, I am happy though, that they all not around to witness what could have been emotionally depressing for all of them!
So, Bra Paul my brother! What can ALIBUYE do or how must we position ourselves under the circumstances, to me is the BIG QUESTION!
Went out for dinner with Mgazi on Thursday last week, it was very depressing to listen to a ‘successful black lady” doing business in Coal Mining, telling us that she was not prepared to work for charity like ALIBUYE, as we were suggesting we all should. This was a very capable and skilled soul that I would have loved to have her as part of Alibuye Panel, but what I can I say?
Will always appreciate your thought provoking thoughts Bra Paul!
Kind Regards
Mashobane ka Godide!
Dear sirs and madams, please hear my position and humble contribution.
Having been born in the 80’s I have the privilege of wading through life without the emotional baggage of the past. I have the ability to look at the ANC and all other political parties in our country as homes with different ideological foundations that are being renovated from time to time by incumbent leaders.
I think challenges of poverty ( which manifest themselves in many different ways including land) can be mitigated, not by creating jobs (jobs are an obvious necessity), but by giving power back to the people so they know and feel deep within their bones that they have the power to dictate their own circumstances.
Over the holidays I spent several gloomy days at home ( you know what it means when a black person says home ), listening to people and conversations. It’s always about 3 things – women, booze and other trivialities I.e. so and so has money and occasional taunts about initiation. This is heartbreaking but beyond that I concluded that their circumstances perpetuate because of their world view, not because “times are tough” or other political rhetoric.
Therefore I find it necessary to make it clear that we live in a world that punishes people for being lazy and incentivises people for working really hard to add value ( and serve) other people. This is the system of business, economics and capitalism.
It makes sense to me that if I plant a seed and take my time to water it at 3am every morning it will grow to make, not 1 apple, but many apples over a long period of time (capitalism) and therefore I have the right to choose what I do with those apples. It does not make sense that I should be coaxed to take my apples and give them to people that chose to sleep while I was on the grind in the early hours of the morning (socialism). If I choose to exercise some generosity and give some away, it should always be out of my own free will and not out of coercion. It is crippling for people to eat what they haven’t earned. Life demands that people continuously find better ways to allot scarce resources for consumption (economics) – for this reason alone there will always be room for new people in the field of business and the economy.
The problem we have is largely that of myopia. Therefore this is what I’d like to see going forward.
1. Struggle victors (especially), give back to your communities.
The currency of giving back is knowledge and time, not rands. Your community is not necessarily where you’re from, but the groups of people with whom you share values. Makes yourselves available and accessible to mentor.2. Spend more time with your children.
Having read many biographies, I find that the great people of this world were inspired by absolutely ordinary people like their dads and their moms. Once inspired, they were mentored by the finest in the industry. Evidently those are the people that created major world impact.Our country does not necessarily need a better ANC, or a better black conciousness – in truth we have not begun to really practice the teachings of the latter. Our country needs its majority ( citizens ) to get access to a broader world view and a bit of common sense. Only ordinary people can make this happen. The world has never been changed by organizations, it has always been changed by people.
**
When I was younger, probably around 13 I asked my dad why he always bought cars. He said, “I’m showing you that it’s possible.” From that day on the world has never been the same for me. I’m not driven by cars ( for the record ), I’m driven by the idea that anything is possible…**
Perhaps to get back to the BIG QUESTION. How should we position ourselves? If we focus on the human element and solving the human problem as best we can, I think the BIG QUESTION will start fragmenting into something more palpable.P.S
I have included a few of my colleagues in this mailing list. Thanks.
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