I'm sure the journs on the forum have been following this debate over the past few weeks.
no. care to enlighten us?
Its all started with this piece:Zijikile izinto: change has come
By Sandile Memela:
The role of the artist in nation-building is to represent the people in speaking truth to power.
We have, in a figurative sense, long arrived at a point of no return. This was in December 2007 in Polokwane.
“Zijikile izinto,” as they put it. Things have changed, at least, at political leadership level.
African people, especially members of the oldest and most powerful ruling party in the continent, the African National Congress had an opportunity to direct this nation in a new path.
The struggle over the last 352 years or so has always been about one thing and one thing only: the cultural self-determination of the African people.
It is the inherent cultural right of the people to decide who they are, how they live and the goals they want to reach for themselves.
Put in another way, the aspirations and hopes of those who went before has always been to create a political system where African people, themselves, will decide policy on the identity of the country, definition of social relations, redistribution of wealth, ownership of the land, eradication of white racism.
The primary purpose has always been to nurture a new spirit of national unity and build social cohesion that would contribute to the creation of a new non-racial, just and equal society.
Over the last 17 years, since the release of Nelson Mandela from Robben Island, we have done pretty well for a people who have no clear definition of what constitutes national culture except for anything goes attitude that has fused the European, African and Asian strands.
What lies behind us, now, are tiny matters compared to what lies ahead of us.
These are exciting times, indeed, especially for creative intellectuals who are intuitively connected to the spirit of the gra**roots people.
So, where do we go, now, after the ANC’s 52nd Congress in Polokwane in December 2007?
The events of the last two years, especially, should provide an optimistic, rose-colored evidence of the importance and relevance of joining community-based cultural and political structures to determine what happens in the future.
The challenge remains to be to produce or deliver material and spiritual benefits for the African majority, primarily.
Of course, this does not exclude other groups like so-called whites, Indians or Coloureds who will always be significant members of the population.
But the national imperative is to be seen to reconstruct the confidence of African people to take charge of their own lives to play a meaningful role and integrate into the South African cultural mainstream, above all.
The solutions to achieve this are quiet simple, if you think about it.
Forget about the over-exaggerated Rainbow Nation or globalization that promotes a free for all culture that does not make it clear that we are an African nation.
This is a media-created spectacle to distract the ‘want mores’ from dealing with pertinent issues, especially of identity and heritage that will inspire pride among the ‘have nots’ who have absolutely nothing but themselves.
First, the economics and politics of culture of this country are, historically, based on racial inequality, injustice and exploitation.
Unfortunately, the private corporations and their few ‘have little’ beneficiaries are resistant to change and refuse to transform.
Now, should creative intellectuals take a Samson-like action and pull down the structures of society or work towards creating conditions that will force the private sector ‘haves’ to respond?
There is no doubt that we have to address issues of cultural monopolisation, exploitation and deprivation, economic injustice and cla** inequality. Artists have every right to demand fundamental change in the cultural sector. But that needs to be done in a responsible way.
Secondly, artists from every race, cla**, culture and politics have got to strengthen the ties that bind them.
Over the last 17 years, especially, their familial and community networks have weakened simply because everybody is looking up to government, especially the Minister of Arts & Culture to deliver manna from heaven with no help from the sector, especially artists themselves.
This is what has resulted in the splinter of artistic groups and disorganisation because of squabbling over government grants, tenders and everything else that money can buy.
The biggest challenge is to organize the artistic community into an active and influential power-bloc. It is important for creative intellectuals to remain united and espouse a philosophy of “one human family.”
Of course, this does not mean espousing a glib Rainbow Nation or globalization gospel that is going to gloss over the impact and legacy of colonialism and apartheid and downplay the need for indigenous people to be equal partners in the land of their birth.
Our artists have to build solid structures guided by the timeless principles of “unity is strength.”
Of course, this must be based on the constitutional foundation of reconciliation, non-racism, non-sexism and equality.
Third, the artistic super elite that have become the toast of the global community must be cautioned against entertaining the idea that everything begins and stops with them. It is a good thing that we have individuals, casts and groups that have gained a foothold on the international stage and are rewarded with prestigious awards.
But they need to be reminded that what they have accrued is the result of the struggle of countless and unknown heroic artists who have given blood, sweat and tears to get us where we are to open doors of opportunity.
It is time we see more artists humble themselves and take active steps that will see that the playing field is levelled. Yes, they can plough back to their community by signing up for membership of South African Creative Workers Union, for instance.
Of course, they do need to turn themselves into agents of what they want to see happen in the fraternity.
Finally, after Polokwane, we seem to have elected a political leadership that promises to recreate a participatory democratic culture that will, inevitably, strengthen connection with people on the ground.
There is always an urgent need for the leadership to re-organize, mobilize and reconnect with the core gra**roots community.
The cultural and political super elites’ preoccupation to integrate into an unjust world economic world order neither serves the interests of the African humanity nor of artists, themselves.
In fact, it threatens peace and stability that has been attained after almost 353 years of struggle.
If read correctly, the events of Polokwane seem to suggest that we are going back to the dynamism of the 1980s of participatory democracy. The people shall govern!
Of course, the cla**ic top-down hierarchical tradition of apartheid reformers was destined to fail.
If our artists want to remain relevant and help, they must return to the gra**roots.
It is only then that the voice of the artists becomes the voice of the people.
