The Sowetan (Johannesburg)
28 August 2001
editorial
Not many eyebrows will have been raised at yesterday's report in this newspaper on the existence of a cemetery for the exclusive use for whites in the Free State township of Mmamahabane.
This is because the report confirms the oft-repeated observation that black folk living in rural areas still bear the brunt of the crudest forms of racism. That this scourge continues to haunt our society has also been poignantly evident during the South African Human Rights Commission's hearings into racism in rural areas over the past two years.
The biggest challenge facing our country is eradicating such subtle forms of racism as experienced by Mmamahabane residents, where the local white community has used its financial muscle to discriminate against their less privileged neighbours by fencing off a cemetery for their exclusive use. Such economic forms of racism have become prevalent in our society, with pubs in some cities asking expensive memberships fees intended to discourage unwelcome black patrons.
Unchecked, such closet racists will continue to flout the tenets of the Constitution outlawing racism by using such ruses to avoid prosecution. They must be dealt with decisively as their actions fly in the face of the constitutional provisions that affirm democratic values of human dignity.
HEADLINE: Presidents on right track
Africa has rightly earned itself the dubious distinction of being a continent plagued by military dictatorships and one-party rule.
A tendency in some parts of the continent for politicians to declare themselves presidents for life have simply re-inforced this image. And it has justifiably raised questions about Africa's commitment to multiparty democracy, a principle central to the success of its recovery programme.
It is against this background that we must welcome the decision by Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos and his Zambian counterpart Frederick Chiluba not to opt for a third term in office. Their announcement could not have come at a more appropriate time.
However, it is important to note that their retirement from politics cannot on its own guarantee regular multiparty elections. Much also depends on the commitment of their political parties, and more importantly the Angolan and Zambian electorates', to the principles that define all free democracies.
What their decisions will certainly do is add credibility to the New African Initiative blueprint for our economic regeneration. Hopefully, their decisions will also inspire similar announcements from others, including Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, who has led his country for no less than 20 years.
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