African People’s Convention (APC) president Themba Godi has paid tribute to the unsung heroes of the Sharpeville massacre in the Vaal at the end of his party’s 3-day elective conference held in Giyani, Limpopo.
Attended by about 300 delegates from all over the country, the conference was considered successful in that it elected new leadership swiftly and without any commotion.
Godi reminded the delegates at the conference about the history of the APC and its roots, which stem from Pan Africanism. Godi felt it was important to emphasise the significance that the Pan Africanist culture played in the events of Sharpeville, Langa and the Soweto Uprising.
He said it was quite surprising that the post-1994 administration had decided to name March 21 as Human Rights Day, instead of Sharpeville Day.
‘’Everything that has happened post-1994 has always been made to suit the white people. Human Rights Day has been meant to obscure the history of brutality,“ Godi said.
Godi led the delegates in a song which condemned the Freedom Charter and its “inconsistencies”.
He spoke about how the descendants of the men and women who died in Sharpeville had been disappointed by the current administration.
‘’The human rights of the poor are non-existent, so how can we talk about human rights. Are we to remember human rights for one day and forget about the poverty and inequality that faces our people,“ Godi said.
Touching on issues concerning illegal immigration, Godi said the true enemy was the capitalist business people who continued to hire illegal immigrants for the purposes of exploitation and denigration.
The APC at the end of its conference emphasised on the importance of African culture and doing away with Eurocentric culture, which they claimed had become embedded in South Africans since 1994.
In its resolutions, the party spoke of the importance of the African identity, preservation of African languages and naming streets and towns with African names.
Regarding electricity issues, the APC would lead any agitation against the privatisation of Eskom and state-owned enterprises. The party spoke of the importance of using the country’s mineral resources, such as coal, to develop the economy and create jobs. The issue of social housing was emphasised, with particular emphasis on those who did not qualify for RDP houses and those who did not qualify for bonds.
The APC was hoping to come back stronger and with more numbers at the next general election in 2024. With new leadership, the APC was hoping to get a number of seats in Parliament and to grow its structures in the provinces.
While the APC carries strong ties with the PAC, the party distinguishes itself as truly Pan Africanist in nature, true to the values of African humanism and holding an unapologetic view of the historic events which took place in the country.