Durban - The chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, Sihle Zikalala, has vehemently debunked as a myth that FW De Klerk, the last white apartheid president, was the one who freed South Africans.
Instead, Zikalala said the freedom came because black South Africans took on the brutal apartheid regime head to head and shed their blood until the regime collapsed in 1994.
He said this on Sunday while addressing a remembrance ceremony held in Umgababa, south of Durban. The annual ceremony is held to remember people who died during the black on black violence of the late 80s and 90s.
Umgababa once experienced a massacre in January 1991. That massacre left 11 people dead and some displaced as their houses were burnt down.
Driving his point home, he said the apartheid government fermented the violence to hold on to power. He recounted the Makhutha massacre, Shobashobane massacre and Trustfeed massacre as evidence that the apartheid government-orchestrated attacks.
“The white apartheid government wanted to delay the majority-black rule by starting what is known as black on black violence. There is this false notion that De Klerk gave us freedom, that is a lie,” he said, speaking in Zulu.
He added that while the country is now free, with no restrictions on blacks, the majority of blacks have not reached the stage they would have wanted to.
“The lives of black people have not reached the level of prosperity we want. A lot still has to be done,” he said.
He then turned his attention to the burning issue of disgruntled MKMVA members who have turned against the ruling party, saying it has neglected them. He said the MK was the “glorious” arm of the ruling party and admitted that some mistakes were made when the army was disbanded and members had to be integrated.
“Yes, some of the issues of integration were not properly handled when they came back… However, the MK has never been a weapon against the ANC,” Zikalala said.
Recently, the disgruntled MKMVA members in Durban stormed the ANC provincial headquarters, demanding that the ruling party address their welfare issues. As a result of that, ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule and MKMVA President, Kebby Maphotsoe, NEC member, Tony Yengeni (who is tasked with unifying the MKMVA and MK Council) had to make an impromptu trip to Durban to address their concerns.