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Current leaders are of the opinion that we managed to get freedom and liberation. How true is that?
Therefore to obtain the answer to that question we need to define freedom according to dictionary freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants or the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants.
But the actual definitions are:
Freedom is the right and capacity of people to determine their own actions, in a community which is able to provide for the full development of human potentiality. Freedom may be enjoyed by individuals but only in and through the community.
In capitalism, only those who have money can enjoy real freedom. Those who have no means of living other than selling their labor power may have freedoms, but their opportunities are always restricted. In bourgeois society some freedoms are considered more important than others.[i]
Freedom stands for something greater than just the right to act however I choose—it also stands for securing to everyone an equal opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.[ii]
I would also like us to also look onto definition liberation in a critical way. According to dictionary liberation means the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release or freedom from limits on thought or behavior or the act or fact of gaining equal rights or full social or economic opportunities for a particular group.
Now let’s look onto the freedom that the ruling party always talk about that they brought in South Africa, and compare it with the Marxist definition of freedom Marx has included that a community must provide for full development of human capacity. Is that true with our community or freedom? You are the judge.
I am quite impressed with last definition which was quite different because it said freedom must not be limited to but must be freedom for. Therefore you can`t say you have freedom if it is limited to something there is a restriction there. You can`t call that a freedom you call that a restriction. The definition of liberation is self-explainer but the problem with our leaders is that they take only one element of that definition and refer to it as liberation. To free someone from oppression by the other is not liberation. But freeing someone from oppression. For an act to qualify as liberation that person needs to be freed from limited thoughts, freed from his behavior. What I mean is a person should be thought not behave like a slave, gain equal rights or full social and economic opportunities. Therefore all elements of the above definition must be met. Is that the case with SA?
The truth is only part of freedom or freedom to we have attained. Therefore the ruling party still brought us restriction. There are only certain elements of liberation have been attained therefore there is no liberation at all.
I am not saying our leaders have not done well but all I am saying is there is a lot that needs to be done. They have gone through a lot before they overcome apartheid and probably they were tired of fighting they were in a state whereby they will either live or survive they chose to survive but that did not mean the struggle was over ,it was far and still too far from over.
What happened is they got onto the survival zone and they did not want to move from that anymore forgetting that every area has different season that was the season to survive but now that is over now is the season to move on.
What needs to be done?
Analyze the current situation of the country. Compare it with past? Then compare it with other countries that were colonized. Identify the gaps. Find out where we want to see our country in the future? How are we going to do that? When should we start and when is the said goal going to be achieved? Who should be the leaders of the project? What resources should be needed in order to achieve that? Which partners or countries or partners to forge relationships with? What will be the benefits of that relationship with those countries? Which systems to apply? What training is needed? Which technology to employ. What research should be conducted or prioritized as I believe all research are important
By so doing we will be able to move from the survival zone to accomplishment zone which will always be in different points therefore we will never stop moving around. The world is evolving and we will need to evolve with it. But for now we are behind we are in the 19th century. Our systems are old and we so happy and content with nothing and being no one compared to the world.
China managed to do it now they are regarded as one of the most influential countries in the world. If they did it why can`t we do it. Is not an easy task but is something that needs to be done.
By Sivuyile Thanklord Crisboy Ncuthushe
