Mutumwa Mawere

The world was taken by surprise 20 years ago today when the then last President of apartheid South Africa, former President FW de Klerk, made a historic announcement of the beginning of the end of apartheid.

It was a day that will remain etched in African history as one of the most significant and defining one and its historic significance cannot be lost to many who for generations lived under an undemocratic and unjust constitutional order.

I was living in Washington DC at the time oblivious of the true significance of the announcement in Parliament by President de Klerk.

Given the protracted nature of the struggle and the entrenched nature of the apartheid state, it was unthinkable that real change could flow in an evolutionary and peaceful manner and that practitioners of an evil system could self-correct.

What is the purpose of life? We all know that human life is perishable and yet each day of life provides meaning if it is shared.

Social groups exist as personal and direct social ties that either link individuals who share values and beliefs or impersonal, formal and instrumental social links.

When individuals interact then social phenomena arises and in the majority of African countries, the interaction is more personal and solidarity is, therefore, mechanical whereas in the world we now live in that is characterized by dissolution of borders there is a new reality that we have to appreciate and accept that compels humanity to invest in organic solidarity that is a consequence of cooperation between differentiated individuals with independent roles.

It was President Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826), the third President of the United States (1801-1809) and one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the country, who said: "I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past."

The future of any nation belongs to its builders. Jefferson also said: "I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion."

We, the people, have the power to shape our future and secure it.

Jefferson was and would not be alone in holding the view that there is no safer depository of the ultimate powers of any society but the people themselves.

The role of working men and women in nation building cannot be understated.

The story of the decolonisation of Africa cannot be complete without mention of the influential role of the trade union movement in determining labour and industrial relations and more importantly in shaping the political and economic agenda of the time.

South Africa, Africa's economic powerhouse, has the largest trade union movement on the continent. It is part of the tripartite alliance that has governed the country for the past 16 years.

As we look back at the journey travelled so far, what can we say about our collective knowledge of the concept of trade unionism? What are its origins? How effective is trade unionism as an instrument for economic and social change?

Mr. Strickland Gillian (1868-1954), American poet and humorist in his famous poem, The Reading Mother, wrote:

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be-
I had a mother who read to me.

Any wealth accumulation process that remains untold creates distortions of the order that can be counterproductive.

Our mothers could not tell us the story of corporate Africa because the majority of Africans were excluded from the story.

Capitalism was not for the majority and the laws made sure that black dreams and aspirations would be prescribed and managed.

Accordingly, manner and circumstances in which the tangible wealth that people like Rhodes made remained untold to native Africans. This part of our Africa's heritage was never told to us.

Africa has and continues to offer promise to a few while the majority make a living in abject poverty.

The pyramidal shape and structure of African society characterised by a few individuals at the pinnacle with the majority struggling at the bottom has regrettably not been affected by independence.

South Africa is the most developed of all African states accounting for about 45% of the continent's Gross Domestic Product.

What makes South African unique? Did it succeed where other African states failed solely due to racism? What were the dynamics at play?

What we do know is that only a few men leave lasting impressions and their actions and choices had a significant influence on the kind of South Africa we see today.

It would be simplistic to suggest that the political economy of South Africa destined these men to play the kind of role they played in constructing the foundation of what is today credited as a dependable basis to prosecute a national democratic revolution and in so doing give hope to all.

The world's first independent black republic, Haiti, was struck at 4:53pm local time or 21:53 UTC on 12 January 2010, by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake January 12, 2010, at 21:53 UTC.

The earthquake, the most severe in 200 years, exposed more about our African heritage than the visible damage to human and physical infrastructure that we have seen.

Haiti's geography in the Western Hemisphere may be misleading as the values, beliefs and principles that inform its approach to nation building may not be any different from the majority of African states.

We have seen the global response to the calamity. The nature and source of the response is instructive.

At a time when the viability of the global capitalist system is in question, we see the major players in the humanitarian and philanthropic spheres originating from the West.

When future generations look back on this day, Sunday, 10 January 2010, they may never know what is between my ears i.e. what I am thinking unless I do something about it.

All human beings have a mind and some choose to keep their thoughts to themselves while others choose to share the little knowledge they may have or acquire in life.

It is up to us to make a choice on what we want to be remembered for.

When we look back at the journey we have travelled as African people, it is easy to make assumptions about the actions and motives of those who came before us principally because some of the experiences were not recorded and codified for us to have a reliable reference guide.

In our daily conversations, many of us believe that Africa would have been better off if it was left to its own devices to chat a development course that addressed its human and institutional challenges.

It is easy to blame colonialism, imperialism and globalisation for the current condition of Africa.

However, Africa may not be necessarily where it is on the development ladder just because of the complex interactions with other civilisations but also the inability of our generation to fully appreciate the true nature of the colonial state and the mindset that informed the choices made by the role players.

As we try to understand our present, we are compelled to look back and locate some of the innovations that have contributed significantly to the continent's social and economic change.

On this Sunday, January 3, 2010, I could think of no better subject to write about than soccer not only because South Africa, my adopted home, will host for the first time on African soil, the biggest and most prestigious sport event in the world, but behind the game is a sophisticated business model that has to be appreciated and understood.

It has been argued that Africa was and continues to be subjected to the influence of foreign cultures because of many factors including weak institutional capacity.

The soccer political economy when properly understood can help enlighten us on some of the key ideological questions that confront us as we try to advance the cause of Africa.

Behind the game of soccer is a complex business model. The soccer society is self governing and global in character and composition.

It has its own government with its own global president. It has its own business model that provides value to its stakeholders who include the soccer loving public.

Its practitioners have to be rewarded like any other service provider. The allocation of seats is market driven. Have you ever wondered what would happen if the soccer economy was socialist in orientation how the tickets would be allocated?

As we continue the journey to discover the men and women who helped shape the corporate and political history of Africa, we are reminded that it does not take a crowd to make a difference.

Very few individuals were responsible for setting the foundations of what we now take for granted.

Individuals who were ahead of their time made the critical decisions that needed to be made and in so doing impacted on the future of Africa.

Our corporate history would not be complete without mentioning the name of Sir Otto John Beit, the younger brother of Sir Alfred Beit, who was born in Hamburg, Germany on 7 December 1865 into a Jewish family.

Our past has helped define the present. We may not like or respect our total heritage but we are compelled to know it in the interests of progress and development.

Africa's heritage is too complex for us to pick and choose what aspects to preserve and condemn.

When I was growing up I knew like many of the existence of a bridge, which forms the political border between South Africa and Zimbabwe, but I did not know of its history and origins and more importantly why it was named Beitbridge.
I just assumed that Beit must have been one of the British colonialists.

The connection between Beit, South Africa and Zimbabwe is knowledge I did not acquire in my formal education.

Nation building is a complex enterprise involving the actions of individuals.

In any generation, there are individuals who stand out and whose legacy flame continues to shine and inspire even after their death.

As we come to the end of this historic year that began with the inauguration of the first African American President of the USA, we are compelled to pause and reflect on our past particularly in view of the fact that South Africa will be the first Africa state to host the Soccer World Cup.

Why South Africa and not Nigeria is the host, for instance? Why are many Africans choosing South Africa as a tourist destination and most importantly as the last station of their life for those that become medically challenged?

Today, Thursday, 31 December 2009, is the last day of this remarkable and defining year that began with the inauguration of President Obama as the first African American President of the USA only to be followed by the election of President Zuma as the fourth President of democratic South Africa.

The election of these two men captured eloquently what President Obama called the "audacity of hope".

President Obama represents the most powerful nation on earth at this troubling time in the history of human civilization and President Zuma represents the most powerful African nation.

It is safe to say that God has used these two men as instruments to demonstrate his glory and power that anything is possible and more importantly that nothing is inevitable.

On 6 April, 2006, Gencor shareholders approved the voluntary winding-up and delisting of the company, bringing an end to a 111-year mining story.

The democratisation of South Africa ushered a new era of transparency and yet the country's heritage remains less understood by our generation.

Gencor was a South African corporate citizen with a complex and interesting heritage.

In its heyday, Gencor represented the might of Afrikaner capital with investments in Gengold, Impala Platinum (Implats), Richards Bay Minerals, Samancor, Trans-Natal and the Alusaf and Columbus projects.

Gencor was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of General Mining and Finance Corporation and Union Corporation and Union Corporation.