*Nelson Mandela rejected changing the name from "South Africa" to "Azania", calling the idea 'preposterous'*
On Tue, Dec 16, 2014 at 2:54 PM, <rwalker...@aol.com> wrote: > > > October 19, 2012 > AZANIA MUST BE FREE! Posted by Mayihlome under Feature Articles > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/category/feature-articles/> | Tags: Africa > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/africa/>, Azania > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/azania/>, Cape Colony > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/cape-colony/>, Motsoko Pheko > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/motsoko-pheko/>, Orange Free State > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/orange-free-state/>, South Africa > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/south-africa/>, Union of South Africa > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/union-of-south-africa/>, United > Nations <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/united-nations/>, Zulu > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/zulu/> | > [6] Comments > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/azania-must-be-free/#comments> > <http://mayihlome.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/zania.gif> > Azania > In A South African newspaper, THE STAR of the 8th 0ctober 2012, Prof. > Themba Sono raised his concern about referring to South Africa as ‘Mzansi > <http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-30.0,25.0&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-30.0,25.0%20%28South%20Africa%29&t=h>.’ > Mzansi means South in Zulu. What is historically clear and politically > correct is that free men and women name themselves. Only slaves and dogs > are named by their masters. That is why not long ago, there was Gold Coast, > Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, British Bechuanaland > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechuanaland_Protectorate>, Upper Volta and > of course, South Africa. But now, free men and women named their countries, > Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Burkina Faso respectively. > “South Africa” is the name that British imperialism > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire> and its colonial settlers > gave to this African country > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_in_Africa> > on the 20th September 1909. This colonial statute was called “An Act To > Constitute The Union of South Africa > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_South_Africa> 1909.” It was > implemented in 1910. > What were the reasons for this Union of South Africa? Constitutional > lawyers Gilbert Dold and C.P. Joubert have written, “Long before the Union > was brought about, many recognised that the colour question in all its > aspects had to be dealt with, not piecemeal by separate governments, but as > one complex whole. The Cape had one native policy and Natal another > entirely different, the Transvaal a third one, the Orange River Colony a > fourth one. > Different remedies were being applied to the same disease. Soon the gulf > might be too wide to bridge. Apart from this, there was always the danger > of a Black native rising. The white population if united under one > government would be strong enough to deal with the danger of that kind, but > under four governments not one of them, especially, Natal was safe from > danger.” > Historians Fowler and Smith have also given the reason why colonial > settlers formed the Union of South Africa. They have recorded, “Peace in > South Africa depended to a large extent on a sound relationship between the > colonies and the native tribes…. (indigenous Africa majority). > The Transvaal was concerned with the Bapedi and Swazis, Natal with the > powerful Zulus and the Orange Free State > <http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-29.0,26.0&spn=1.0,1.0&q=-29.0,26.0%20%28Orange%20Free%20State%29&t=h> > with the Basuto. The Cape Colony > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Colony> was to deal with the warlike > Xhosa tribes on its frontier. It was common knowledge to the governments > concerned that when one tribe was involved in war, peace was also > endangered in other parts of South Africa. Unified control of natives in > South Africa through some form of federation would minimize the danger of > costly Native wars and maintain peaceful conditions.” > At the time of the formation of the Union of South Africa there were > 349,837 settlers and five million Africans. Section 44 of the Union of South > Africa Act 1909 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa_Act_1909> > clearly stated that “The qualifications of a member of the House of > Assembly shall be as follows: He must…be a British subject of European > descent.” > In 1913 through the Native Land Act > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natives_Land_Act%2C_1913> of that year, > five million African people <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_people> > were allocated 7% of their own country. The remaining 93% was given to the > 349,837 colonial settlers. Later through the Native Trust Land Act 1936, an > additional 6% of land was allocated to the African people. The land > dispossession of the African people has continued to the present. > In 1996, the constitution of so-called “New South Africa” made it clear in > Section 25(7) that Africans were not allowed to make any claims of land > colonially seized from them before June 1913. “New South Africa” is today > more economically European than African. Opposition by some African leaders > against the sale of land to foreigners and demand of equitable > redistribution of land has been brushed aside as the work of “extremists”. > On the name of the country, the settlers have pushed for their colonial > name “South Africa” while in fact this country is AZANIA. The contestation > about “New South Africa” and Azania is about the control of the country’s > riches. Before Azania was colonised Africans controlled all the riches of > their country from fertile land to mineral wealth. The fundamental > objective of the liberation struggle was about equitable redistribution of > land and resources according to population numbers. This is what Azania is > about. > Azania like ancient names such as Egypt, Kush, Mizraim, Kemet has always > meant Blackman’s country, just as Britain is a white man’s country, and > there is nothing sinister about this. “South Africa” as dispossessed from > Africans by imperialist forces was not only colonial, but racist. South > Africa’s policy of apartheid was declared a crime against humanity by the > United Nations. It is not therefore, an appropriate name for a liberated > people. Those who want to call it “Mzansi” are simply mimicking their > colonial masters. > Azania has always been Naha ya batho ba batsho, Izwe labantu abamnyama, > Shango la vhathu vhatswu, Tiko ra vanhu mtima, ivhu revatema, Vana vevhu in > Sotho, Nguni, Venda, Tsonga and Shona respectively. > The Khoi King, Hendrik Witbooi was right when he told Major Curt von > Francis of the German army after the European Berlin Conference in 1885, > that “Africa belongs to us. Both through the hue of our skin and our way of > life, we belong together….The fact that we possess a variety of diverse > LANDS and a variety of kingships does not mean any secondary division and > does not server our solidarity. The Emperor of Germany has no business in > Africa.” > Imperialism usurped Azania from Azanians by the gun. This act provoked > Thomas Farewell Brixton, a British leader of the Anti-Slavery Society to > tell his own British government, “The natives (Africans) have a right to > their own land. My attention has been drawn to the wickedness of our > proceedings as a nation towards the natives of the countries we seize. We > have usurped their lands, kidnapped, enslaved and murdered them. Their > greatest crime is the land of their forefathers.” > South Africa is a colonial name. Mentally colonised people love masters’ > colonial names and values. South Africa is a name by which Africans have > suffered genocide, holocaust and unprecedented national humiliation. > Retaining the name associated with apartheid which has been declared a > crime against humanity by the United Nations is participation in that > crime. This also manifests the pathological colonial mentality of those who > resist the name Azania. > The name Azania has enough historical respectability and impeccable > credentials. Starting as it does with the first alphabet, it will get the > people of this country up on the roll-call at the United Nations and other > international forums. But above all, it would remove the shame of our > country perpetually carrying the colonial baggage from the past; and > tarnishing its image as a truly free African country. South Africa has too > much colonial mud on its face. It is constantly dragging Africans into its > decadent moral and cultural values, let alone its economic enslavement of > the 80% African majority. > Historically, Azania is known for its Azanian civilisation which stretched > from Eastern Africa to the southern tip of Africa. It is known for its > mines which were operating long before the White colonialists landed here. > The archaeological excavations in Mapungubwe in the 1930’s, revealed > skeletal remains of what archaeologist called “ancient Azanians” or the > descendants of Kush. About the advanced Azanian civilisation J.M. Roberts > author of World History has written, “It is characterised by a high level > of culture…mine workings, rock paintings … these were products of a > technology which archaeologists called Azanian. It was the achievement of > an Iron Age culture. Agriculture had been practised in the region since the > beginning of the Christian era.” > Colonialists stole not only the lands of African people and renamed them. > They stole also their knowledge, so that they would know nothing about > themselves. For instance “The Indian” Ocean was known as the Azanian Sea as > late as 1526, “The Atlantic Ocean” was called the Ethiopian Sea. In fact, > Pliny the Elder mentioned the Azanian Sea as early as 60 A.D. Pliny has > been described as a Roman author, naturalist, philosopher as well as the > naval commander of the Roman Empire. > Africans must abandon all colonial names. Free men and women control their > destiny unhampered by colonial and neo-colonial forces. AZANIA MUST BE FREE. > By Dr. Motsoko Pheko > The writer is a former Member of the South African Parliament and author > of several books such as TOWARDS AFRICA’S AUTHENTIC LIBERATION, THE HIDDEN > SIDE OF SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS and I AM AZANIA. He is a former > representative of the victims of apartheid and colonialism at the United > Nations in New York and at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. > Contact Details: 0761414204 > Related articles > > - Marikana Massacre a Sign There Is No Economic Liberation in South > Africa > > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/marikana-massacre-a-sign-there-is-no-economic-liberation-in-south-africa/> > (mayihlome.wordpress.com > - > MARIKANA MASSACRE A SIGN THERE IS NO ECONOMIC LIBERATION IN > SOUTH AFRICA Posted by Mayihlome under Feature Articles > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/category/feature-articles/> | Tags: > Africa <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/africa/>, African National > Congress > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/african-national-congress/>, ANC > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/anc/>, anc government > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/anc-government/>, economic > liberation <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/economic-liberation/>, Jacob > Zuma <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/jacob-zuma/>, Marikana > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/marikana/>, Motsoko Pheko > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/motsoko-pheko/>, native labour > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/native-labour/>, NUM > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/num/>, POLITICS > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/politics/>, South Africa > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/south-africa/>, Zuma > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/tag/zuma/> | > [2] Comments > > <http://mayihlome.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/marikana-massacre-a-sign-there-is-no-economic-liberation-in-south-africa/#comments> > > The Marikana Mine Workers Revolt > Marikana Massacre of 50 African workers and 78 injured at the > platinum mine North-West of Johannesburg under ANC > <http://www.anc.org.za/> government on 16 August 2012, illustrates the > absence of economic liberation for 80% of the African people > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_people> who were supposedly > “liberated” in April 1994. Azania (South Africa > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa>) is home to 80% of the world’s > known reserve of platinum, a very precious metal which competes with gold > in value and price. > The price of platinum fluctuates between $1650 and $1800 per ounce. > Miners at Marikana platinum mine as all other mines where minerals are dug > from the ground; do very dangerous work. Some miners have described mining > as “graves” as the mine can collapse at any time bury them, never for them > to come out alive. The Marikana platinum miners went on strike demanding an > increase on their wages. They are paid R4000 a month. This is about five > hundred American > > <http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.8833333333,-77.0166666667&spn=10.0,10.0&q=38.8833333333,-77.0166666667%20%28United%20States%29&t=h> > dollars. Many of these miners have families to support. > They were massacred in what the media has described as: “Another > Sharpeville,” “The Hill of Horror,” “Bloodiest Security Operation Since > Apartheid,” “Bloodbath,” “Killing Field,” “Mine Slaughter,” etc. Three > thousand miners took part in this mine strike. It involved talks with mine > company unsuccessfully. The platinum bosses are some of the leading > controllers of the economy in this economically colonised African > country > > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_in_Africa> > . > In South Africa, Africans are still treated as mere source of cheap > native labour, just as in “bygone” apartheid colonial days. Police could > have used other methods to disperse the strikers peacefully. Many strikers > were shot from the back. It is an indication that they were running away > from the police. Looked at from a broader perspective, this strike was not > just about wages. It went beyond “an industrial action.” > This is a national issue that was swept under the carpet at CODESA > > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiations_to_end_apartheid_in_South_Africa> > in a hurry by some “negotiators” to get into high government > positions,leaving economic power and the land question unresolved and > continuing with the inhuman colonial economic inequalities between the > African majority and white minority. > An official of the American government > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_States>, > Josh Earnest has said, “We are saddened by loss of life. We encourage all > parties to work together to resolve the situation peacefully.” The mine > workers pursued this route for a long time. Officials of the Marikana > platinum mine refused to negotiate with leaders of Associated Mining and > Construction Union (AMCU).It is alleged that they negotiated secretly with > the National Union of Miners which is allied to the ANC. The leaders of > AMCU have accused leaders of NUM with being preoccupied with their own > business interests and being favoured by management. The monthly salary of > Num Secretary Frans Baleni is reported as one hundred and five thousand > Rand. > Mistrust has led to the death of 50 miners. Not one Marikana platinum > mine official has been injured. Instead there has been warning that miners’ > actions will scare investors. Concern has focused on profits not on the > heavy loss of human life. > An executive member of the ANC has offered two million Rand for the > burial of these miners. His company Shanduka, owns 9% of shares in the > Marikana mine. This gesture is human and must be appreciated. But why > should Africans always be offered money when they are dead? This is > reminiscent of those days in the liberation struggle when Europe would > supply the South African > > <http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-30.0,25.0&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-30.0,25.0%20%28South%20Africa%29&t=h> > regime with weapons and send bandages to the African freedom fighters and > “encouragea peaceful solution.” > President Jacob Zuma <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Zuma> has > announced the establishment of a commission to investigate what caused this > brutal massacre of African workers. A period of mourning was announced four > days after this horrible incident, seemingly as a response to the anger of > the people from every corner of the country and beyond. > The massacre has been reported widely on BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Sky > News, CCTV and observers across the world have conveyed support for the > miners as well as shock at this blood-soaked outcome. > Despite the mourning period declared by President Zuma the Marikana > platinum mine management has ordered all employees on strike to return to > work or face dismissal. The workers have responded, “Expecting us to go > back is an insult. Many of our friends and colleagues are dead and the > company expects us to resume work. Never! Some of our colleagues are in > prison and hospitals. We must mourn them.” > Zuma has expressed surprise at the anger and behaviour of Marikana > mine workers. But there has been open anger about the horrible conditions > in which Africans live in so-called “New South Africa”? > Poverty is the mother of revolutions. Poverty causes despair, > particularly when many leaders serve their own personal interests and not > those of the suffering masses. These leaders are more concerned about > “investors” and “foreign aid” than about developing their countries with > what they have. > The truth is that most Western countries > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_world> that are supposedly > giving “foreign aid’ to Africans are themselves getting their own riches > from Africa. Azania is no exception. Leaders of African governments must > stop dealing with Western countries as if Africa has nothing to put on the > table. > Without platinum from Azania, the West would not move an inch > economically. Therefore, the dependency mentality of African leaders on the > Western countries must stop. Africa’s leaders must bargain with enormous > material resources Africa is endowed with. These raw materials must be > exchanged for high technology. The West is reluctant to transfer technology > to Africa or invest in the infrastructure of Africa for the rapid > development of the continent. > Africa must demand a world of interdependence between the West and > Africa. Europe and her allies have milked Africa of its riches for far too > long. Without Azania chrome, manganese and uranium the West would not be > boasting of its present development. The West has advanced nuclear > technology today because of uranium from Azania. > Azania must rise and lead a Pan African Economic Revolution for the > emancipation of Africa’s people. Azanians are not wild beasts to be > slaughtered for their own platinum in the land of their ancestors. The > Marikana massacre of these 50 African people signals that a people centred > model of nationalisation of land and mines in Azania is long overdue. > Citizens of a truly sovereign state are not massacred like wild pigs > in their own land and over platinum which is legitimately theirs. There > must be equitable redistribution of economic resources according to > population numbers in Azania. > Dr. Motsoko Pheko > (The writer is the author of TOWARDS AFRICA’S AUTHENTIC LIBERATION and > several other books. He is a former Member of the South African Parliament > as well as former representative of the victims of apartheid at the United > Nations) > Related articles > - Rage by Miners Points to Shift in South Africa – New York Times > > <http://www10.nytimes.com/2012/09/01/world/africa/south-africa-leaders-on-other-side-of-rich-poor-divide.html?_r=5&pagewanted=all> > (nytimes.com) > - Apartheid and the Marikana murder charges: a common purpose indeed > > <http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-08-31-apartheid-and-the-marikana-murder-charges-a-common-purpose-indeed> > (dailymaverick.co.za) > - Questions remain over Marikana mine killings > > <http://www.itv.com/news/2012-08-31/questions-remain-over-marikana-mine-massacre/> > (itv.com) > - South Africa Mine Massacre: Miners Charged with Murdering Themselves > > <http://world.time.com/2012/08/30/south-africa-mine-massacre-miners-charged-with-murdering-themselves/> > (world.time.com) > - Marikana: Zuma reclaims his soul, and his presidency > > <http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-08-23-marikana-zuma-reclaims-his-soul-and-his-presidency> > (dailymaverick.co.za) > - Marikana: What price will Zuma pay? > > <http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-08-27-marikana-what-price-will-zuma-pay> > (dailymaverick.co.za) > - South African police kill 34 miners… survivors charged with murder > > <http://kasamaproject.org/2012/08/30/south-african-police-kill-34-miners-survivors-charged-with-murder/> > (kasamaproject.org) > - Zuma says he can’t interfere in miners’ case > > <http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/114836/zuma-says-he-can%27t-interfere-in-miners%27-case> > (radionz.co.nz) > > > <http://wordpress.com/about-these-ads/> > > - > > >
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