N. -- WHO IS THE “NATION” IN ANC NATION BUILDING?

(84*) Back in 1998 the then Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki opened the Debate in the National Assembly, on Reconciliation and Nation Building. He said: “South Africa is a country of two nations. One of these nations is white and the second and larger nation is black”. He continued to say that the answer to the question: “Whether we are making that requisite progress towards achieving the objective of nation building, would be - no!”

The notion of two nations is firmly anchored in South Africa’s history and has over the years been accepted as reality.

In 1994 the two nations were brought together to form the so called “Rainbow Nation”.

There is ample evidence that the one nation dream has not yet been realised:

(85*) Guardian Africa Network of 6 December 2012 published the results of the “South African Reconciliation Barometer Poll”.

Its findings showed that: “Eighteen years after the end of white minority rule, 43.5% of South Africans rarely or never speak to someone of another race. Little more than a quarter (27.4%) interact with a person of another race always or often on ordinary weekdays, while 25.9% do so sometimes. Less than one in five (17.8%) South Africans always or often socialize with people of other races in their homes or in the homes of friends. A further 21.6% do so sometimes, and more than half (56.6%) rarely or never socialise across race lines”. 41.4% agree that they find the 'ways and customs' of people of other race groups difficult to understand”.

The overall message of the survey is confirmed by real everyday behaviour: White and black people tend to seek out the members of their own race and socialise with them.

True to the Reconciliation Barometer results, (86*) the Congress of the People (Cope) published a speech by Kenneth Sinclair on Social Cohesion and Nation Building. The author stated that: “South Africa today remains divided along racial lines. In our political discourse different communities remain isolated as there is no cross sectorial interaction between different communities of different racial groupings”

What are the effects of Government’s nation building programmes?

(87*) President Zuma noted that: “Government’s socio-economic transformation programmewas a primary tool of national reconciliation, nation building and social cohesion. The on-going process of geographical name changing and standardisation was also one of the tools to bring South Africans together; to promote a common nationhood and craft a new and inclusive narrative for the country” he said.

This study explicitly shows that Government’s socio-economic transformation programme has since 1994 served as a key dividing and separating force between white and black.

Socio-economic transformation is regarded as affirmative action -- One of the most noteworthy reasons for thousands of whites leaving the country. Similarly, the on-going process of geographical name changing has always strained relations between whites and Government.

Could one assume that the President interpretation of “bring South Africans together” in effect means, uniting black “nations” or recruiting black people for the ANC?

Does Government’s “nation” include or exclude the white population?

Similarly, the term “people” is high on the ANC’s list of “most used words”.

Who are the “people” as in (88*) “The national wealth of our country, the heritage of SouthAfricans, shall be restored to the people” or “the people shall govern?”

Why is the Rainbow Nation dream a failure?

Government is seemingly unwilling to recognize that the South Africa population is made up of two separate nations; a white and a black nation; resulting in very little or no visible effort to unite and reconcile them into one nation.

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(84*) Department of International Relations and Cooperation -- Statement of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki at the Opening of the Debate in the National Assembly, on "Reconciliation and Nation Building, National Assembly Cape Town, 29 May 1998 http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=17&cad=rja&ved=0CGAQFjAGOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dfa.gov.za%2Fdocs%2Fspeeches%2F1998%2Fmbek0529.htm&ei=3LnxUOL3GcaHhQfGx4HYBQ&usg=AFQjCNGDNyIQeVUqCoUW14VoZHrS7Mc-EQ&sig2=OyBPmaMVl_alSBO6uXJTOQ

(85*) Guardian Africa Network -- South Africa still a chronically racially divided nation, finds survey http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=17&cad=rja&ved=0CGIQFjAGOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2012%2Fdec%2F06%2Fsouth-africa-racially-divided-survey&ei=YsLxUNvGNIeHhQeUm4CgBQ&usg=AFQjCNG8ZLS3uPXQNldvcSIzd6c1gZ-3vw&sig2=UL8lr8mcI8BsjZyPLVcoBQ or

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/06/south-africa-racially-divided-survey.

(86*) Cope – Social cohesion and nation building http://www.congressofthepeople.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=167:social-cohesion-and-nation-build&catid=14:constitution&Itemid=435

(87*) BizCommunity -- Social cohesion, nation building high on SA's prioritieshttp://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=9&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CGMQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bizcommunity.com%2FArticle%2F196%2F524%2F77966.html&ei=13jwUOfCJ825hAeBpoDICQ&usg=AFQjCNEJKttoLPzGrENqVH23VFU5Hlc32g&sig2=Zp47d3H9RopO-VBn6VFVkw

(88*) National Democratic Revolution -- ANCYL Political Education Manual http://www.google.co.za/url?q=http://www.ancyl.org.za/docs/political/2009/NDR%2520Presentationb.pdf&sa=U&ei=QoCvUOOyHIuGhQeg0IG4Dw&ved=0CBQQFjAA&sig2=oK_BNB9D9OdrNfW59beo9g&usg=AFQjCNGDm-FqziG398_FThuWqxoNNOl3Hg