NEW YEAR MESSAGE 2004

Comrades and Compatriots

Ten years ago, we were a society in conflict with itself. The Black majority had embarked on different methods of struggle, including armed struggle, in order to overthrow white racist minority rule.

In the prosecution of that struggle, thousands of our people died at the hands of the enemy whilst others were detained, tortured, imprisoned, exiled, banned or suffered in countless ways.

At certain moments of madness, we, the oppressed, turned against one another, causing unnecessary death, injury and pain to thousands in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and other parts of our country. We did all these horrible things against one another either at the behest of our oppressors or in pursuit of a dubious political supremacy over squalid shacks and poverty-stricken villages. These are actions we should be ashamed of and vow never to see repeated.

We have all the justification in the world to be proud of ourselves for successfully overcoming racist settler-colonial oppression, restoring peace in our land and establishing a democratic order that enables us to freely choose a government to rule over us.

There are many in the world who are still to score the victories we have under our collective belt. Many countries around the globe, including some on our continent, that are going through war, civil strife of one description or another, or are living under a dictatorship.

So, we can enter the New Year, 2004, confident that the gains we have made in the past few years provide us with a firm foundation to tackle the many problems that still confront our country.

We are one of the most unequal societies in the world, with the wealth divide taking more or less the racial divisions imposed on us by settler-colonialism. The inequalities manifest themselves in terms of land ownership, the control and ownership of other sectors of the economy, access to social services and ability to assert one’s culture and ideas.

Unemployment and poverty on the part of the majority Black population are formidable problems threatening the stability and the very fabric of our society.

Crime, especially the variety accompanied by the use of firearms and the rape of women and children, is a scourge that is imprisoning the citizens of our beautiful country.

As we face up to these and other challenges, let us ensure that democracy works. Let us use the vote that was hard-won through blood, sweat and tears, to put into power a party that we believe can help us solve these serious problems.

Fortunately, the New Year we are heralding is also an election year. AZAPO will be presenting itself as your soldier to battle the many issues confronting our country.

We must at all times remember that we have a beautiful country and a wonderful and talented population. If we continue to keep our heads, confront our issues with imagination and determination, use our vote intelligently and harness the genius of our people wisely, we will bequeath to future generations a truly marvelous country.

We wish all of you a prosperous and healthy 2004.

MOSIBUDI MANGENA

PRESIDENT